Juan Soto has put up tremendous numbers during his first half-season with the Yankees. And while he’s having an MVP-caliber season in the Bronx, there are many Mets fans and people around the game who believe Soto could wind up moving to a different borough this offseason.
Count Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez among those who wouldn’t mind seeing Soto trade his pinstripes for the Orange and Blue.
Speaking with Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports, Alvarez discussed his relationship with Soto, saying that not only does he try to emulate his style of play, but he would also enjoy being teammates with the three-time All-Star.
“I would really like it if he was going to play with the Mets,” Alvarez told FOX Sports, saying that he and Soto got to know each other when they were both represented by Scott Boras. “For me, it would be great. He’s the guy that, everything I want to have is like him. He’s one of the best players in the game.”
Soto has indeed performed like one of the best players on the planet this season, slashing .303/.437/.568 with 20 home runs, 61 RBI, and 69 runs scored. He’d probably be the AL MVP frontrunner if it weren’t for his own teammate, Aaron Judge, who is putting up out-of-this-world numbers this season for the Bombers.
But even more than the numbers, Soto plays the game with a certain sense of swagger and confidence that few can match. See his patented Soto Shake every time he lays off a pitcher’s pitch.
The Mets’ young catcher brings a similar type of fire and energy to his clubhouse, which was noticeably absent when Alvarez was on the IL with a fractured thumb. The numbers don’t lie: With Alvarez in the lineup this season, the Mets have gone 23-9. And since the catcher’s return on June 11, they’re 12-4 in games that Alvarez has appeared in. In his 16 games back from injury, Alvarez has slashed .375/.456/.667 with three homers and 12 RBI.
With Alvarez back in the lineup, the Mets have flourished, thanks in part to the Soto-like passion that the young backstop brings to the ballpark.
“I practiced with him a couple times in the offseason,” Alvarez told FOX Sports. “I got to know him a little bit. I love how he plays the game. He enjoys the game. I enjoy the game. We have fun. We talk, since I know him before, we talk during the game.
“I like how he works his confidence, and how he looks — he looks very confident every time when he goes to play baseball. He’s different. His confidence is different. I feel like my confidence is different, too. I like to play like him.”
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