By Adeniyi Precious 
Spring training is barely underway, but the Mets-Phillies rivalry is already heating up. Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez wasted no time stirring the pot, confidently declaring that his squad has the best lineup in baseball.
Alvarez first made the claim earlier this week at the Mets’ training facility, telling reporters, “I think we are the best lineup in baseball… We have Petey. We have a little bit of everything. We have hitting guys. We have power hitters. We have everything.”
Plenty of players will hype up their teams this spring, but Alvarez took it a step further the next day, saying, “I think we are better than the Dodgers.” That’s a bold statement considering the Dodgers are absolutely loaded.
The Mets did land superstar Juan Soto this offseason and re-signed Pete Alonso, but the Phillies aren’t exactly shaking in their cleats. With sluggers like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto, they’re not going to be too concerned about a 23-year-old with a .221 career average talking big.
After getting eliminated by the Mets in last year’s NLDS, the Phillies will have their eyes on this matchup. Alvarez will get his first chance to back up his words when the Phillies visit Citi Field for a three-game series from April 21-23. Buckle up—this NL East battle is going to be fun.