Top prospect Álvarez excited for opportunity with Mets
By GEORGE HENRY
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Francisco Álvarez was riding with his parents and another friend from Syracuse to Miami on Thursday when Major League Baseball’s top prospect got the news that he had been called up to the big leagues. The 20-year-old was in the New York Mets’ lineup Friday night batting seventh as designated hitter. The Mets wasted no time putting Álvarez in the heat of their pennant race with the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves. New York began Friday with a one-game lead in the NL East and figured Álvarez, a right-handed hitter, can handle Braves ace Max Fried, a lefty.