The catching position has been quite the conundrum for the Mets. While Francisco Alvarez has shown flashes of the player he was supposed to be, injuries and lackluster defense have plagued his career.
Luis Torrens, on the other hand, has made the most of his opportunity with the Mets and is arguably the best backup catcher in the majors. It can be easy to forget that he was dealt by the New York Yankees for cash considerations in May 2024.
In fact, it's a good problem to have when you have a solid argument that your backup catcher deserves more playing time. Below, we'll break down the reasons why Torrens has earned that.
The phrase "run prevention" might make Mets fans wince, given how poorly it aged after David Stearns preached it before the error-filled 2026 season, but Torrens is run prevention personified. He is one of three Gold Glove finalists for the Mets and ranks at the top of nearly every defensive metric.
Of those metrics, the most eye-popping one is his 33 percent caught-stealing rate. In today's game, with the pickoff rule and pitch clock, it's exceptionally harder for catchers to throw out runners, but Torrens has made it look easy.
It's often said that comparison is the thief of joy, but to truly understand how good Torrens is defensively, it's worth comparing his metrics to Alvarez's. The most striking contrast is blocks above average, where Torrens is in the 85th percentile at 5, while Alvarez is at -13.
Looking at the blocks alone, it's clear why pitchers seem to prefer Torrens behind the plate over Alvarez, at least based on results. Mets pitchers posted a 3.74 ERA when Torrens was catching, but a 4.54 ERA when Alvarez was behind the plate (h/t Michael Baron of Just Mets ).
With what projects to be a young pitching staff in 2027, good defense at the catching position will be important. As of now, there's nobody better to fill that role than Torrens.
It's no secret Torrens's bat isn't impressive, but he tends to show up when it counts. Back in May, during the Subway Series, he hit a pinch-hit two-run double in the sixth inning to cut the Yankees' lead to two runs, and the Mets ultimately completed the comeback in ten innings.
Torrens excels with runners in scoring position. In 65 at-bats this season, he hit .277 with a .874 OPS. That doesn't excuse the overall numbers, but with the lack of offensive catchers in baseball, Torrens is not an outlier.
There could be room for improvement . In 2021, Torrens played 108 games, more than he has in any single season with the Mets, and hit 15 home runs with a .730 OPS.
For context, Alvarez hit 16 home runs with a .710 OPS in 113 games this season. If Torrens can recapture some of his power from his Mariners days, it will be hard to justify using him only as a backup catcher.
In May, the Mets gave Torrens a two-year extension worth $11.5 million. With him earning $4.75 million in 2027 and $6.75 million in 2028, it's hard to justify paying a player that kind of money strictly as a backup.
That's not to say you start him purely based on that, but when you combine his defense, clutch hitting, and salary, playing under 100 games per year doesn't make much sense. Torrens has stayed relatively healthy, certainly more than Alvarez, and could provide some stability at the position if he's given a chance.
Moreover, perhaps Alvarez benefits from splitting his time between catcher and DH. At just 24 years old, Alvarez has the injury history of a grizzled veteran, and that risk will only increase with age.
Either way you slice it, Torrens deserves a larger role on the 2027 Mets. Judging by Stearns' decision to retain him before his contract expires, he might feel the same way.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mets/onsi as 3 Reasons Luis Torrens Deserves A Larger Role With Mets in 2027 .
