There’s still time for him to get it going, but it has to start now. If not now, when?
Pete Alonso is betting on himself by planning to enter the open market and command a $200 to $300 million deal as a free agent after this season.
Hiring Scott Boras to make it happen, Alonso felt he did enough in his career to warrant that payday by being fourth for the most career home runs in Mets history at 211 before Wednesday’s night game against the Yankees.
To say Alonso has not cashed in on his contract year is an understatement. The Mets slugger came into Wednesday’s night hitting .244 with 19 home runs and 51 RBIs to go with his .323 on-base percentage, .452 slugging percentage, and .775 OPS. He only had two home runs this month before this game. He has 87 strikeouts and has grounded into double plays to kill the Mets’ rally.
It’s easy to question if he suddenly lost his home run power. When it appears he hit the ball out of the ballpark, it turns out to be a long flyout instead. It has been tough to watch him struggle in big spots this season. He is not even putting the ball in play. Look, the Mets accept the fact he won’t hit for average. But he is a drag in the lineup if he is not hitting home runs.
As frustrated as fans are with the Mets star, think about how much worse he feels. Then, Mets manager Buck Showalter mentioned last season how he beats himself up when he feels like he is not contributing.
There’s no doubt Alonso has let his failures get to him more than he has let on this season, especially with everyone contributing to the Mets’ lineup. The team is having a great run, currently 29-13 (70%) over their last 42 games, after Wednesday’s 12-3 victory over the crosstown Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
What happened this week against the Yankees could be the start of something going for the impending free agent.
It started Tuesday night when Alonso had a leadoff double in the sixth inning. Then, the red-hot Jeff McNeil hit a two-run home run to give the Mets a 3-1 lead. Then, on Wednesday night, Alonso hit his 20th home run of the season in the 4th to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. That was by far his best moment of the season. It was something he and the Mets needed. The Mets piled it on from there, including a six-run eighth inning.
Maybe this is the start of something good for him. It has to be.
Alonso’s base hit may have started his home run purge. The home runs will come if he can hit the other way and use the field to get on base. On this Wednesday night, they did.
He hasn’t been good enough to get the type of deal he yearns for from the Mets. He may have played himself out of the team altogether at this point. The Mets likely want to focus on overpaying Yankees’ Juan Soto, a free agent after this season.
It doesn’t mean that the Mets’ first baseman will be lost. He can still get his deal out there. Some teams could be desperate to do so. There’s always “that one dumb team,” as prominent local baseball writer Bill Madden would like to say. It could be the Chicago Cubs or another team desperate for his service.
I don’t think Alonso has lost it all of a sudden. His bat speed has been fine, and his home runs can still be majestic. He is an exceptionally well-conditioned athlete. His work ethic serves him well.
There’s still time for him to get it going, but it has to start now. If not now, when?
If he can go on a run like Francisco Lindor has been on since the Mets hit him at leadoff, he can salvage his season and lead the Mets to the playoffs.
They are going to need Alonso. He is their best home run hitter. If he goes on a tear, the Mets can feed off that. Things can fall into place if he can play well against the Atlanta Braves this weekend.
Alonso is certainly due.
