Francisco Alvarez's 2026 Season Marked by Injury, Offensive Inconsistency

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez experienced a mixed 2026 season, battling a torn right meniscus in May but returning quickly. Despite a strong start including an Opening Day home run, his offense faltered post-trade deadline, with his strikeout rate jumping to 39.4% and OPS dropping to .579. He finished with a .233/.311/.399 slash line and a 99 wRC+. Defensively, Alvarez struggled, recording -5 DRS and -2 FRV across 88 games at catcher, contributing to a 1.4 fWAR for the year.