NEW YORK — Pete Alonso is changing into probably the most prolific energy hitter in Mets historical past, and it could not find yourself significantly shut.
The above assertion doesn’t qualify as hyperbole. It’s backed up by statistics like these: By homering twice in the Mets’ 6-3 win Sunday over the Mariners at Citi Field, Alonso reached 41 residence runs and 100 RBIs on the season.
Alonso now owns three of the highest six single-season residence run totals in franchise historical past. Over his first 5 Major League campaigns, one in all which was shortened due to the pandemic, Alonso has hit 40-plus homers thrice — as many as each different participant within the franchise’s 62-year historical past mixed. The solely different massive leaguers with no less than three 40-homer campaigns over their first 5 seasons are Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews, Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard. Two of them are within the Hall of Fame, and a 3rd will likely be quickly.
“I don’t know. I like driving in runs,” Alonso mentioned. “I feel like that’s an art form. You can be taught it, but it takes a lot of discipline.”
At this level, almost half a decade into Alonso’s Major League profession, it might be tough to doubt his self-discipline, his muscle or every other relevant trait. Four years after proving himself as one of many sport’s foremost sluggers, he has developed a status as one of many league’s most constant performers. Consider Alonso’s marks over the previous three seasons:
Home runs:
2021: 37
2022: 40
2023: 41 (and counting)
Slugging share:
2021: .519
2022: .518
2023: .525
“It is not easy to be that consistent and to make it look as easy as he’s making it,” mentioned teammate Francisco Lindor, who scored on Alonso’s RBI single within the first inning. “I mean, you’ve still got a month left, and he’s got 40 with [100], on a team that the numbers offensively are not what they were last year.”
Manager Buck Showalter echoed these sentiments, noting that opponents are inclined to pitch Alonso otherwise (learn: extra rigorously) than they do others within the lineup. With a person on first within the third inning, for instance, Mariners starter George Kirby threw Alonso 4 consecutive breaking balls, the final of which he hung over the internal half of the plate. Alonso pulled it a Statcast-projected 385 ft down the left-field line over Citi Field’s authentic black outfield fence.
Three innings later, reliever Trent Thornton broke from the script, beginning Alonso out with two breaking pitches earlier than making an attempt to raise a 1-1 fastball. But Thornton didn’t get his heater up sufficient, leaving it chest-high for Alonso to punish 397 ft to left-center, per Statcast.
“He impacts the ball,” Showalter mentioned. “He impacts the ball hard, and he’s got coverage. He’s got plate coverage. … It’s not like he’s got a one-spot honey hole, so to speak. There are multiple pitches that he hits.”
Already, Alonso has 187 profession homers, which ranks fifth on the Mets’ checklist behind Darryl Strawberry, David Wright, Mike Piazza and Howard Johnson (the latter of whom he might move this season). If Alonso sticks in Flushing long-term, he’s a close to lock to grow to be the Mets’ all-time residence run king — probably early in 2025.
But Alonso’s crew management solely runs by means of the top of subsequent season, elevating a spate of current questions relating to his future. The Mets don’t but know whether or not they’ll have the ability to re-sign Alonso, and so they might not have a agency reply till he reaches free company. When requested, Alonso is routinely effusive about his love for the Mets and town of New York. But till he really places pen to paper on an extension, questions will persist — significantly when seen by means of the prism of a membership that isn’t sure how aggressive it will likely be in 2024.
All that’s clear now’s that Alonso is sort of sure to maintain bashing homers someplace, and if it occurs to be Queens, then he might grow to be probably the most adorned energy hitter the borough has ever seen. Almost no Major Leaguer has had a begin to a profession fairly like this. Literally nobody has finished it with the Mets.
“It’s kind of wild to think about,” Alonso mentioned. “Honestly, it’s kind of just happened so far. It seems like just yesterday I was in my rookie season. This is my fifth year. I mean, time flies. It means a lot. This place has been extremely special to me. New York has treated me so incredibly well. … It’s been really awesome so far, and it’s a blessing for sure.”
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