Big night for Mets' Pete Alonso better late than never
Pete Alonso of the New York Mets follows through on his sixth-inning three-run home-run against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
As long as the Mets have something to fight for, it’s not too late for Pete Alonso.
There’s no changing the past, and no sugar-coating the fact this has been a disappointing walk year for Alonso, whose first crack at free agency at season’s end is likely to fall short of the dream scenario.
But Alonso has time to change the narrative, and the muscle to do the heavy lifting required to get the Mets where they need to go. The numbers from the previous 5 1/2 months are nothing more than filler in a Scott Boras binder now. They’re decent, but nowhere near top-dollar worthy.
For Alonso to polish his Flushing legacy — and maybe even extend it — these September swings are all that matters going forward. Of course, there’s the not-so-small detail of filling in for the Mets’ injured MVP, Francisco Lindor, and Alonso got to work on that task this week, first during a clubhouse meeting Monday and then at the plate (homer, five RBIs) during Tuesday night’s 10-1 blowout of the Nationals at Citi Field.
Alonso hasn’t really been a spokesman for the Mets this season — it’s something he did more in his earlier Flushing years. But with Lindor down, and the team having to make up for his back-related absence, the responsibility to rally these Mets for a playoff run fell to Alonso. For these two days, he’s seemed up to the challenge.
“I just wanted to say something from the heart to the fellas,” Alonso said late Tuesday. “Because this place is really special. It’s a great fan base here, a great city and I’m just really fired up because of the situation we put ourselves in.
“Not a lot of people would necessarily see us in this position four or five months ago. A lot of people didn’t. And for us to be in this position, it’s a huge testament to every single player that’s here, the coaching staff, the organization, because we’ve had that inner self belief.”
With Alonso, it’s appeared to waver at times. He entered Tuesday with a .695 OPS for September — seventh on his own team — and his five RBIs in 14 games was tied with Harrison Bader. Bigger picture, Alonso’s 81 RBIs ranked 34 in the majors and his .218 batting average with runners in scoring position sat 144th among 164 qualified players.
But when Alonso stepped to the plate Tuesday, that was all ancient history. He’s not working with a fresh slate, but it’s all front-focus now, and Alonso delivered when the Mets needed him the most against the Nats — if not in his signature way at first. In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded, Alonso seemed on the defensive against lefty Mitchell Parker, but he fought off a two-strike fastball for a looping two-run single that dropped softly behind first base, about a foot inside the foul line.
Alonso wasn’t breaking any Statcast records with that one. It clocked in at 60.4 mph at a total distance of 162 feet, but it was still good enough to put the Mets in front, 3-1. The next time up, Alonso ripped a double off the wall in right-centerfield, then scored on Tyrone Taylor’s double. Once the sixth inning rolled around, and the rout was on, Alonso came through with his usual flex, blasting a three-run homer into the leftfield seats. The 375-foot shot was No. 33 on the season, and was the surest sign yet that maybe Alonso was ready to fill for Lindor.
“We’ve been saying that guys will want to step up when Lindor is down, and Pete is one of those guys” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You guys have seen it before, I’ve seen it, where he can carry a team. And today for him to go out there and have that type of game, he’s that type of player, he’s that type of hitter where he can do damage.”
As for Alonso turning the page from a personal standpoint, Mendoza emphasized how the slugger’s goals and the Mets are perfectly aligned down the stretch. The possibility of this being Alonso’s last homestand in a Mets’ uniform only adds to the emotional tug of the week ahead.
“Hopefully he can do it the next 11 games and deep into October,” Mendoza said. “He’s got a chance here to continue to do something special. Look at his numbers ... that’s a pretty good season. But hopefully he gets hot here and carries the team for quite a bit, because we’re going to need him.”
By now, Alonso surely has realized there’s no point in worrying over whatever money he’s lost with a sub-career year. But there’s still plenty of upside left to this season, starting with qualifying for October — and sticking around for a while in the playoffs. Maybe people never thought the Mets would be here, as Alonso suggested, but they’re on the verge of flipping the script to a degree that even the players couldn’t have anticipated when they were 11 games under .500 at the end of May.
But it would be unwise to bet against the Mets pushing their way into the playoffs — or Alonso with a bat in his hands. That noisy impact was back Tuesday night at Citi Field, and Alonso might be ready to make himself heard from now through October.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
