Pete Alonso is arguably the hottest hitter on the planet right now, and he is the main reason the New York Mets currently sit at the top of the NL East with a 9-4 record.
I told you all in my Opening Day blog that a power surge was around the corner and my prediction has more than come true. On Opening Day, Pete worked deep counts and kept poking the ball to the right side of the field.
I had mentioned then that this was a clear green flag for him and that whenever you see this, the power surge is coming. It is a screaming sign that he is seeing the ball well and the hits will soon add up. That is exactly what has happened since then as he has smacked out 4 home runs and drove in 18 runs while slashing to an impressive .378 batting average in 13 games.
Trust in Matty Wheelz…especially when it comes to Pete Alonso.
He is getting on base at an unbelievable rate as his OBP is now at .482. Pair that with his league-leading .778 Slugging percentage and he has an OPS of 1.260 and OPS+ of 261. Take a look at where he ranks in the primary hitting categories thus far, per SNY.
OPS – 1st
SLG – 1st
RBI – 2nd
AVG – 2nd
OBP – 2nd
XBH – 3rd
HR – 3rd
Are these numbers sustainable? Obviously not based on his track record, but it is so incredibly fun to watch this man when he is locked in. It is also very cool to see him start the season so well after lifting much of the contract-related tension off his shoulders. He is playing for a massive contract again this year, whether that comes via extension or free agency, but that player option is surely helping him sleep at night.
Last night, the Mets took on the pride of Sacramento (The Athletics of course), and Pete carried his team to victory yet again. In five plate appearances, Pete reached base safely 4 times and the 5th appearance resulted in an RBI sac-fly. He worked deep into counts again as his game-winning home run came on the 7th pitch of the at-bat and his RBI double was launched on the 8th pitch of another at-bat.
He is playing so confidently, and he looks super calm in the box. He is not looking like 2024 Alonso in any way as he is showing improved discipline at the dish. He is actually looking like a better version of 2019 Alonso right now, who set the league on fire.
We know his potential. We know he can club out 50 homers and hit near .270, but I’ll gladly take a 35-homer season if he continues to hit the gaps like this and get on base at an elite rate. Juan Soto may be influencing better decision-making for him and his presence in the two-hole will continue to benefit Pete greatly.
Pete also now sits at 230 career home runs, which puts him 12 behind David Wright and 22 behind Darryl Strawberry on the all-time Mets list. The Polar Bear is knocking on the record-breaking door in his age 30 season as he looks to become the Mets’ all-time home run king.
Pete and the Mets take on the A’s again at 4:05 pm today and hope to stay hot behind their budding ace, David Peterson.
LFGM