Alonso at a crossroads as he heads to fourth All-Star Game
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NEW YORK -- When Pete Alonso was named to his third consecutive All-Star team and fourth overall, passing Keith Hernandez for the most appearances in history by a Mets first baseman, he called it a blessing. Over the ensuing days, much ink was spilled regarding Alonso’s All-Star case compared to those of teammates Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor, but the fact remains that Alonso is here. He’s heading to Texas. He is, once again, an All-Star.
“It’s really cool,” Alonso said. “I feel really blessed. It’s really elite company, so it’s such an honor and I’m very humbled and happy to be able to partake. I’m really excited and it’s going to be fun getting out there.”
The selection also offers an opportunity to glance back at the career of Alonso less than five months shy of his 30th birthday.
The Past
These days, it is almost laughable to consider that Alonso was not a surefire prospect when the Mets selected him in the second round of the 2016 Draft. Yet questions about Alonso’s first-base defense lingered well into his rookie season. Some scouts also feared he would never hit enough to tap into his prodigious power.
Alonso squashed such concerns immediately when he clubbed a Major League rookie record 53 homers in 2019, won the Home Run Derby and established his own growing legend as the Polar Bear. After taking a half-step back during the wonky pandemic season of 2020, Alonso spent the next three years as one of the most consistent power hitters in the game, posting up nearly every day -- he played in 96 percent of the Mets’ games during those seasons -- and slugging between .504 and .519 each year.
(Alonso also won another Home Run Derby along the way, before losing two in a row -- the scene-setter for his presence in this year’s Derby, the fifth of his career.)
As Alonso’s new manager, Carlos Mendoza put it: “You feel good about your chances when he’s up there.”
The Present
Much of the consternation surrounding Alonso’s All-Star selection surrounds the fact that, by his own standards, this hasn’t been a typical season for him. Alonso entered the All-Star break with a career-low slugging percentage and OPS. He’s on pace for fewer than 40 homers for the first time since 2021.
But Alonso is still tied for fifth in the National League with 18 home runs and has a puncher’s chance to reach 100 RBIs for the third consecutive season. It’s not as if he’s had a bad first half -- he is an All-Star, after all, on merit. It’s just not quite the year he’s used to having, which says plenty about his own high standards.
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“I am really pleased with some parts, but I’m really excited for better things to come,” Alonso said. “I think progressively I made some adjustments along the way, and finding success as the season has gone along has been really nice.”
The Future
Where Alonso goes from here -- quite literally -- isn’t entirely clear.
A free agent after the season, Alonso and the Mets have all but said explicitly that they expect him to reach free agency in November. The only thing that might have upended the equation would have been a blockbuster Trade Deadline sale of Alonso -- something that had been rumored in the past, but surely won’t happen now that the Mets have rallied to put themselves back in the playoff mix.
When asked, Alonso reiterates that he loves New York and would love to stay long-term, recently saying: “Why wouldn’t you want to come back if you love it?”
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Money is generally a factor, though, and there will need to be mutual interest for a nine-figure deal to get done. Might Alonso’s relative down season affect the Mets’ desire to bring him back? Might his performance down the stretch, or even the team’s performance, affect Alonso’s view of the place?
These are questions without easy answers, but with significant impact on Alonso’s legacy. Currently, he ranks fourth in Mets history in career homers (211) and will likely finish this season third on the list. But Alonso won’t catch franchise leader Darryl Strawberry (252) unless he re-signs.
He has also won just one playoff game over 5 1/2 seasons with the team.
Perhaps this year will change that equation. Either way, Alonso’s decision to stay or go could make the difference between him being a very good Met -- four All-Star appearances are nothing to sneeze at -- and an all-time great.