NEW YORK -- MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect is arriving in the heat of a pennant race, and the Mets are not going to hesitate to throw him into the action.

The team slotted catcher Francisco Álvarez at DH and No. 7 in the batting order for its series opener in Atlanta on Friday, in one of the most hyped prospect debuts in franchise history. There are plenty of layers to this one.

Why is it such a big deal?

Álvarez is the sport's top-ranked prospect for a reason -- namely, his plus-plus power. He hit 27 homers in 112 games at the upper Minors this season, despite being the youngest player at Triple-A for much of it. Álvarez's youth, the Mets' caution with prospects and a late-season right ankle injury all made it seem unlikely he would debut this season. But the Mets' lack of DH production ultimately prompted them to call up Álvarez with six games remaining in the regular season.

At the time of his callup, Álvarez was MLB Pipeline's top-rated prospect. He earned that distinction in late July, after beginning the season No. 10 on the list.

• Everything to know about Francisco Álvarez ahead of his callup

How can fans watch his debut?

Friday’s game will be broadcast locally on SNY in the New York market. As for Saturday and Sunday, those games will be national broadcasts on FOX and ESPN, respectively. Fans can also watch the games on MLB.TV.

Will Álvarez catch?

Not likely. For now, the Mets intend to use Álvarez as their DH, hoping he can give them the spark they have not received from Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf and others. If Álvarez succeeds offensively in a small sample size, the Mets may give him some reps at catcher. But their primary motivation is to use Álvarez as a DH, particularly against left-handed pitchers.

Is Álvarez eligible for the playoffs?

Yes. Any player who was in the organization on Sept. 1 is eligible as long as the team has excess players on the injured list. The Mets have multiple such candidates, making Álvarez an option in October.

• Baseball's top prospect is 20, powerful and laser-focused

But does he actually have a chance to make the postseason roster?

Also, yes. With only six games remaining, Álvarez has a very limited sample to show the Mets he belongs on the postseason roster -- but that doesn’t mean he can’t flash enough potential to earn a spot.

"No,” manager Buck Showalter responded when asked if there was enough time left in the regular season to get a good read on Álvarez. “Nobody's that good. We'll take what's there. This is about tonight's nine innings, and if we think he has potential to help us -- we'll see. We can't ask them to extend the season. He's where he needs to be. He's in a good place swinging the bat, and we hope to take advantage of that.”

Six games is obviously a limited sample, especially considering it’s not a lock that Álvarez will be in the lineup for all of those contests. That said, the 20-year-old prospect wouldn’t be put into this situation if the Mets didn’t believe he could potentially help them in their quest to win the NL East -- and beyond.

"Anybody that plays is making a case for themselves,” said general manager Billy Eppler, when asked if Álvarez is auditioning for a postseason role. “But today's Friday -- we're focused on Friday and that's it. I'm not thinking about Saturday or Sunday right now."

How old is Álvarez?

Álvarez makes his debut at 20 years, 10 months and 11 days old.

Only five Mets players this century were younger at the time of their debuts: Dilson Herrera, Jenrry Mejia, Fernando Martínez, José Reyes and Ruben Tejada.

What can we expect from Álvarez offensively?

Power, and lots of it. Scouts have described it as light-tower power, and Álvarez has had little trouble translating it into games. Over the past two Minor League seasons, he hit 51 home runs in 211 games. Like most sluggers, Álvarez is prone to swings and misses, though not to extreme levels; he struck out in 26.1% of his plate appearances at Triple-A. He walks a fair amount and should be able to post strong on-base percentages despite middling batting averages.

Defensively?

This is the part of Álvarez's game that remains a work in progress. Over the past four years, he has worked tirelessly on his receiving, footwork and throwing skills behind the plate. Álvarez remains a raw defensive catcher, which is a significant reason why the Mets don't intend to use him much (if at all) at that position during his first taste of the Majors. But team officials remain optimistic that Álvarez can become a passable defensive catcher in the future.

Where is he from and how did the Mets acquire him?

Álvarez grew up in Guatire, Venezuela, a small city about an hour east of the capital, Caracas. He played in amateur tournaments in South and Central America in his youth, eventually drawing the eyes of Major League scouts. At 16, Álvarez signed with the Mets for $2.7 million, which remains a franchise record.

Why is now the right time for his MLB debut?

Álvarez finished the Minor League season strong, but he was actually on his way to Florida to begin his offseason work when he received the call to instead join the Mets in Atlanta. While his potential offensive impact was certainly a factor, the decision to call up Álvarez came after it became clear that Ruf was going to be placed on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain.

"Some of it was some of the circumstances we're in,” Eppler said. “With Darin going on the IL, we're a little short on right-handed bats. Francisco, since he's come back from his ankle injury and after that treatment, has kind of put up the numbers he was accustomed to. So, the opportunity came, and here he is."