New York Mets: What if Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge swapped teams
It seems like lately that we are living in an alternate universe with everything being closed and no sports going on. So today, let’s take a look and see what the New York Mets would look like in Pete Alonso, and Aaron Judge switched places.
Back in the 1940s, fans sat around the hot stove and talked baseball. One interesting topic was, what if Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio and Boston great Ted Williams traded paces. That meant Joltin Joe would have patrolled center at Fenway, next to his brother Dom, and batting against the backdrop of the Green Monster. Williams, for his part, would be able to take full advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch.
The New York Mets haven’t been around nearly as long, but it’s a fun subject. EWB modernized the debate for 2020. What if the New York Mets had Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge instead of Pete Alonso. How much different would the Amazins be?
Mets fans fell in love with Polar Bear Pete during his smash-hit 2019 season. He broke the Mets rookie, National League rookie, Mets season, and MLB rookie home run records, finishing 2019 with 53 round-trippers. Not bad for a player some thought wasn’t ready for the Majors in spring training.
For his part, since 2017, Aaron Judge has been a mainstay of the Yankees. Like Alonso, he burst on the MLB scene with a then-rookie record 52 home runs ( first in the American League). Judge added 114 RBI while hitting .284 with a 1.049 OPS in 155 games.
He won a Silver Slugger Award and was runner up to Houston’s Jose Altuve for AL MVP. This part may sound Familia, the right fielder also made the All-Star team, won the HR Derby, and was his league’s Rookie of the Year.
After his first season, Judge has played in roughly 100 games per year, putting up respectable numbers. In 2018, Judge hit .278 with 27 home runs and 67 RBI. Then in 2019, he hit .272 with 27 home runs and 55 RBI. The common theme for both years was time missed because of injuries.
At 6-7, 280-pounds, Judge’s build resembles an NBA power forward more than a baseball player. The same power and agility seen on the court by someone his size, he uses to be at an elite level in the field. Number 99 in pinstripes has been one of the best defensive right fielders in the game.
After four seasons in the majors (he played 27 games in 2016), Aaron Judge leaves fans hungry for more. He has legendary potential if his body can hold up.