Now that the 2022 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 the season from A (Abraham Almonte) to W (Josh Walker). The review will look at their season statistics, stories, and what role (if any) they will have next season. We continue the series today with a look at first baseman Pete Alonso.
Player Review: Pete Alonso
2023 Stats: 154 Games, 568 At Bats, .217 Batting Average, 123 Hits, 21 Doubles, 2 Triples, 46 Home Runs, 118 RBIs, 92 Runs Scored, 4 Stolen Bases, 65 Walks, .821 OPS, 3.2 WAR
Story: After a tremendous 2022 season, Pete Alonso looked to build on his success in 2023. Alonso got off to a fast start in the power department, slugging 10 homers by the end of April as it looked like he could challenge 60 home runs in a single season. Things took a detour for Alonso in June when he suffered a wrist injury in Atlanta that was projected to sideline him for at least a month. Alonso was able to beat that timetable, returning after missing the minimum 10 days on the injured list, but the injury sapped his power for a bit as his hand was slow to heal.
Things took another unexpected turn for Alonso as the Mets’ season went south and the team sold off pieces at the trade deadline. Reports emerged that the Mets listened to offers for Alonso, who is only under team control through next season, and WFAN’s mid-day show decided to spread a narrative that he was toxic in the clubhouse and needed to be dealt away. That narrative was refuted by everyone who has actually been inside the Mets’ clubhouse and Alonso performed well down the stretch, coming just shy of 50 homers and driving in over 100 runs for the third time in his career.
Grade: A-
Alonso does get dinged a bit for his .217 batting average, which is the lowest in his career for a year where there were 162 games played, but a low batting average on balls in play is partially responsible for that. The Mets still happily took Alonso’s power production as he remained the team’s best home run hitter.
Contract Status: Arbitration Eligible (Third And Final Time)
Odds Of Returning: 99%
2024 Role: Starting First Baseman
New President of Baseball Operations David Stearns made it a point to quell trade speculation around Alonso for now, indicating that he expects him to be the Mets’ Opening Day first baseman, but until a long-term extension is reached you cannot completely eliminate the trade possibilities here. Alonso also switched agents to Scott Boras, who likes to take his clients to the free agent market, so the likeliest scenario is that the Mets let Alonso play out his walk year and look to retain him after the season.
Check back tomorrow as our Player Review Series continues with a look at catcher Francisco Alvarez!
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