On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates executed a double steal against New York Mets rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez, with Ke'Bryan Hayes taking third base and Ji Hwan Bae swiping second.
After Alvarez made the unconventional decision to throw to second base instead of third, Mets manager Buck Showalter asked catching instructor Glenn Sherlock to pick Alvarez's brain about what was behind the decision.
It was a fair question: Alvarez's strength has always been his bat, and his caught stealing rate in the majors this year is among the bottom tier of qualified catchers.
In his answer, though, Alvarez was wholly transparent — and showed plenty of the growth that has so impressed the Mets this year.
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