Now that the 2019 season is over for the New York Mets, we have been looking back at the year that was. After taking a more general view of the offense, pitching, and coaching staff, it’s time to take a deeper dive into the Mets’ players. This series will take a look at every player on the roster for the Mets at the end of season from A (Pete Alonso) to Z (Daniel Zamora). The review will look at their season statistics, stories, and what role (if any) they will have next season. We kick off the series today with a look at first baseman Pete Alonso.
Player Review: Pete Alonso
2019 Stats: 161 Games, 597 At Bats, .260 Batting Average, 155 Hits, 30 Doubles, 2 Triples, 53 Home Runs, 120 RBI’s, 103 Runs Scored, 1 Stolen Base, .941 OPS
Story: After crushing the baseball in the minor leagues a year ago, Pete Alonso entered the season looking to win the Mets’ first base job in spring training. New General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen made it clear that Alonso would have every opportunity to earn his way onto the Opening Day roster, although skeptical fans questioned whether the Mets would actually sacrifice a year of team control by not keeping him in the minor leagues for two and a half weeks. That would have delayed Alonso’s free agency until after the 2025 season, so it looked like the odds were stacked against Alonso with the Mets deep at the corner infield spots.
Injuries to Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier, combined with an an excellent spring out of Alonso, led to him making the team. Mickey Callaway displayed immediate confidence in the rookie, inserting him into the two hole in the Mets’ lineup, and Alonso rewarded his skipper’s faith by homering early and often. Alonso delivered prodigious power, swatting monstrous home runs that broke the internet, and started rewriting the record books in the. process.
By the All Star Break, Alonso had 30 home runs, and he made his debut on the national stage by winning the Home Run Derby in an epic showdown with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. When the Mets came back from the break, Alonso helped spark the Mets’ second half surge with more homers and a new NSFW rallying cry of LFGM. Even though the Mets fell short of their team goals, Alonso had a tremendous personal year, shattering the team’s single season home run record on August 27 and breaking Aaron Judge’s single season rookie record of 52 homers on September 28. The season ended with Alonso leading the league with 53 home runs and driving in 120 runs, one of the best power seasons in franchise history.
Grade: A+
Alonso entered 2019 as a rookie and left it as the face of the Mets’ franchise. For a team that has been searching for a first baseman for a long time, Alonso has solidified that position for the foreseeable future.
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration Eligible
Odds of Returning: 100%
2020 Role: Starting First Baseman
This is an easy call to make. Alonso will be back in the heart of the Mets’ lineup again in 2020. The interesting decision will come to see if the Mets make a pre-emptive call to lock up Alonso for the long term. That may not happen now since the Mets have a lot of players to consider extending, including Noah Syndergaard and Michael Conforto, but if Alonso puts together another huge year in 2020 the clamoring among the fanbase for an extension will skyrocket.
Check back tomorrow as our Player Review Series continues with a look at outfielder Aaron Altherr!
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