Francisco Alvarez, nicknamed “The Troll”, did just that to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers when he spoke to reporters earlier this week, bluntly proclaiming that the New York Mets boast the superior lineup.
“I think we are better than the Dodgers,” he said. “We can fight with any team.”
The hot take from the 23-year-old was made as the Mets get spring training underway in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and after the team revealed its 2025 training roster on Monday. The list is stacked with 66 players who Alvarez believes to be a better-assembled cast than their West Coast foes.
[Related: 2025 MLB free-agent signing tracker, trades: Red Sox land Alex Bregman on 3-year deal]
However, recent history favors the Dodgers’ roster after the team ended the Mets’ season in six games in the 2024 National League Championship Series. New York ultimately finished third in the NL East in 2024 with a record of 89-73, but that fact does not seem to be affecting Alvarez as he enters his third season in the league.
Another fact not affecting the Venezuelan catcher is the Dodgers’ assembly of a superteam during the offseason, adding names like two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to an already deep roster that includes Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to name a few.
But, the Mets weren’t passive this offseason as they also added strength to their roster with offseason acquisitions like outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal, and joins Alvarez and other heavy hitters like Francisco Lindor and Peter Alonso.
Alvarez and the Mets will have their first opportunity to put his words into action when they face the Dodgers for the first time in a three-game series at Citi Field from May 23-25.
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