METS BATS PACE APPY TALENT
Year after year, the Appalachian League has turned into a showcase for some of the top young international prospects. In 2016, Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the standout prospect in the league. In 2018, Rays shortstop Wander Franco was equally impressive. This year, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez stood above the crowd. Guerrero, Franco and Alvarez were all in their age-17 seasons when they broke out in the Appy League.
Johnson City won the Appalachian League title. The Cardinals had to win their final two regular-season games just to make the playoffs. The club then lost the opener of the best-of-3 semifinal and championship series, but both times rallied to win the final two games of the series.
1. Francisco Alvarez, C
Kingsport (Mets)
AGE: 17. B-T: R-R. HT.: 5-11. WT.: 220. SIGNED: Venezuela, 2018.
Alvarez began his first pro season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before showing that his bat was more than advanced enough for the level (1.395 OPS). He was promoted to Kingsport, where he posted an .820 OPS over 35 games while being more than three years younger than the average
