Before we dive into what will be an uncertain year for Pete Alonso and for the Mets, let’s take a moment to acknowledge how special Alonso’s tenure has been for the organization. The Mets have been a pitching-dominant franchise since their inception, making Alonso something of a unicorn for them. Sure, they’ve had home run hitters in the past, but none who have made the long ball the central tenant of their game, and have not just excelled at it, but made it an art. That ability to hit majestic home runs seemingly at will has made Alonso one of the faces of the sport, and it’s easy to take for granted that he plays for the Mets.
Barring an unforeseen development during the waning weeks of spring training, Pete Alonso will become a free agent after the 2024 season. Like it or not, this means discussions involving the Mets’ beloved first basemen will revolve around his potential departure. Whatever he does, good or bad, will be examined through the lens of his impending free agency. It’s part of the business side of baseball, although it should not detract from the joy of watching Alonso display feats of seemingly superhuman strength by hitting baseballs very far.
Alonso burst onto the scene in 2019 and promptly made a name for himself by winning that year’s Home Run Derby and smashing 53 home runs. That total set new benchmarks for (i) home runs by any Met in a single season (previously: Carlos Beltran, 41), and (ii) home runs by a rookie (previously: Aaron Judge, 52). Since then, Polar Bear Pete has done nothing but hit homers at an historic pace. He has amassed 192 dingers in five major league seasons, one of which was abridged due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year was no different, as Alonso slugged 46 home runs, the second-highest total he’s put up in any individual season. That number is more than any other Met has hit in a single season, aside from his memorable rookie campaign. And yet, there is a case to be made that Alonso put forth his worst full season at the major league level. If we discount the shortened 2020 campaign (in which he appeared in 57 of the team’s 60 games), he concluded 2023 with a career-low 2.8 fWAR, 121 wRC+, and .217/.318/.504 slash line—each number represents the lowest mark in a full season in that respective category.
But the fans pay to watch Alonso park baseballs in the seats, and that is what he continued to do. If there’s two things Alonso has done well in his career, it’s hit home runs and stay on the field. Since debuting in 2019, he has appeared in 684 of the team’s 708 games, including 154 of their 162 games in 2023. That includes the fact that he spent ten days on the IL last year after getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist, resulting in a bone bruise and sprain. He consistently ranks near the top of the team leaderboard in several key offensive categories, including in home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, OPS, and wRC+. He has become a leader on and off the field, especially given his contributions to Queens and the city as a whole via The Alonso Foundation—this year, he has vowed to contribute $1,000 for every home run to animal shelters.
That promises to help a lot of animals. As previously mentioned, he hit 46 home runs in 2023, giving him 192 for his career. That total puts him in a tie with Howard Johnson for fourth on the franchise’s all-time list. If Alonso manages to stay healthy, as he has for much of his career, he should easily surpass Mike Piazza (220) for third on the all-time list. That would leave just David Wright (242) and Darryl Strawberry (252) standing between him and the Mets’ all-time mark for home runs. A couple of years ago, it would have been foolish to bet against the first baseman breaking that mark, but given that his future in New York is in flux, Alonso setting the record for Mets’ homers is no guarantee.
A lot of the doubt comes from Alonso signing with Scott Boras last October, which made it clear early on that the 3-time All Star intended to reach free agency. While Boras’ most notable clients have failed (so far) to command the contracts their superstar agent was seeking—some high-profile names remain unsigned as of the publication of this season preview—Alonso will likely be sought after for his reputation as one of the most prolific home run hitters in the game. It will be interesting to see how Alonso responds to the challenge and how he approaches his walk year, and whether it puts any sort of extra pressure on him.
It is worth nothing that Alonso expressed his love for New York and the team during the early days of spring training, and Steve Cohen made it clear that he understands and appreciates his value to the franchise and importance to the fans. Both parties appear very motivated but also intend to play the situation out, meaning it’s unlikely we get a resolution until next winter. An added benefit of Cohen owning the club is that a player hitting free agency doesn’t make them an automatic goner—see: Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz.
So here we are. As we set forth on another unpredictable baseball season, it seems there are two things we can safely predict: Alonso will hit a long of dingers, and he will become a free agent. Everything else can be left to the imagination. For now, it’s best to sit back, enjoy the ride, and appreciate just how special it has been watching a player with Alonso’s talent take the field these past few years. The Mets have never had a home run hitter quite like their first baseman, and they may never have one again.
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