New York Mets: Pete Alonso is putting the entire MLB on notice
By Joe Noa
With the 2019 season underway, New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso is raising eyebrows and stopping people dead in their tracks to see him bat. Can he take his success at the plate and lead the Mets to the postseason?
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is a raw talent that needed to prove himself worthy of making the Mets Opening Day roster. There is no question he can hit. According to floridagators.com, he batted .460 at Plant High School in Tampa, Florida.
As a junior at the University of Florida, he played third base and received many awards for his offensive prowess. His achievements drew the interest of the New York Mets and in 2016, was drafted in the second round, 64th overall.
This is not traditionally a pick the Mets would make. They tend to focus more on pitching first. However, then General Manager, Sandy Alderson, and his staff felt Alonso was a talent they could not pass on. Turns out it was a great choice!
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Still, in spite of the fact that Alonso had a .991 fielding percentage playing mostly at third as a Gator, the Mets felt he needed to improve his defense at first. A challenge I am sure Alonso welcomed.
Many Mets fans were disappointed when Alonso was not called up this past September. Instead, he was sent to the Arizona Fall League to work on his defense and get ready for 2019 Spring Training.
Mets fans got a taste of what Alonso can do this spring. He had a line of .356/.396/.644, three home runs, with eight strikeouts in 45 at-bats. Due to his success in March, new General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen put Alonso on the Opening Day roster.
The young first baseman has not disappointed. At the time of this writing, he is hitting .382 with three home runs, 11 RBI and an OPS of 1.256. Not only has Alonso hit, but he has hit some frozen rope shots and with one home run going 427 ft and then claiming he did not get all of it.
This past week, Pedro Martinez on MLB Central declared Pete Alonso to be this year’s rookie of the year, and had a lot of praise for the youngster. It is a long season and there is another really hyped up rookie playing for the Padres named Fernando Tatis Jr., but there is no question that if Pete Alonso stays healthy and focused, he is a favorite to win ROY.
The Mets can afford to sacrifice a little defense for the offense Alonso produces. The defense can be taught and improved on. What Alonso offers at the plate is nothing but magical. Offensively, he could be something the Mets haven’t seen since Yoenis Cespedes in 2015.
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His are the skills that excite the Mets and their fan base to believe this is going to be a season of Mets baseball in October. Pete Alonso will play a big part in that quest as many are taking notice of him now.