2024 Mets Report Card: Pete Alonso, 1B
Pete Alonso, 1B
Player Data: Age: 29 (12/07/1994) B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 162 G, 695 PA, .240/.329/.459/.788, 146 H, 34 HR, 88 RBI
Advanced Stats: 122 WRC+, 44.1 Hard Hit%, 24.8 K%, 9.9 BB%, .276 BABiP, .362 xWOBA, 2.1 fWAR, 2.6 bWAR, -9 OAA
2024 Salary: $20.5 million
Grade: B-
2024 REVIEW
For most, if not all, of the 2024 regular season, Pete Alonso was a very streaky and inconsistent hitter. From April until May, Alonso was a slightly worse version of the player who struggled in 2023. His strikeout rate was under this career average, slotting in at 20.3%. His walk rate of 8.7% was also right around his career average. However, his average exit velocity was 88.6, well below what is expected of him.
Alonso’s batting average of .227, OBP of .303, and slugging % of .449 were all below his career averages to start his season. Yet, he had 11 home runs and 13 doubles by this point of the season. The first baseman registered good counting stats, but the underlying numbers were slightly concerning.
In June, Alonso arguably had the best month of his 2024 campaign as the Mets began to turn their season around. He racked up 25 hits, seven of which were doubles and five of which were home runs. He had a WRC+ of 152, well above the league average of 100. His walk percentage in the month was 13.3%, and his slugging percentage was .511, both on par with his career averages.
From July to August, Alonso’s numbers slightly dipped but were still productive. The middle-of-the-order slugger for the Mets had 50 hits in 233 plate appearances, with 13 of them being home runs and nine going for doubles. His walk rate of 9.4% was better than his early marks in the season, but his 29.2 K% was the highest mark of his season to that point. Alonso’s average exit velocity for this stretch was 91.2, his slugging percentage was .471, and his WRC+ was 121.
September was not exactly kind to Alonso, though. The power output plummeted, as he only produced four home runs and two doubles. His slugging percentage was an underwhelming .378, as was his .156 ISO. Alonso also registered a .222 batting average for the month and had a strikeout rate of 29.6%.
As bad as the star first baseman was in September though, he made up for it in the playoffs. Alonso was one of the key contributors for the Mets in the power department, posting an elite .999 OPS during the team’s amazing run to the NLCS. He had four home runs and one double, with the biggest one coming against Devin Williams and the Brewers. Two outs from elimination, Alonso took the elite closer yard, and the Mets ended up clinching their first playoff series win since 2015.
The home run against Williams is not to discount the rest of Alonso’s playoff performance, though. Without his and Mark Vientos‘ contributions, the Mets would not have defeated the Philadelphia Phillies and pushed the Dodgers to Game 6 of the NLCS.
The playoff magic Alonso provided was the perfect encapsulation of his season and what he is as a player. At his worst, Alonso is a strikeout machine that cannot be trusted to come through in the clutch. His strikeout rate of 24.7% was the second-highest of any full season in his career. His OBP of .329 was his second-lowest mark and his slugging percentage of .459 was the worst of his career.
However, Alonso can be a game-changing talent at his best. He can carry an offense and be one of the best power-hitting players in the entire sport. Under the shining lights, Alonso can create moments that can go down in team history. It is this enigma that the Mets will have to solve this offseason. Do they retain Alonso, who is projected to decline throughout the course of a long-term contract? Or will they let one of the faces of their franchise leave for nothing in return?
2025 Overview
Heading into his age-30 season, Alonso is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. There will likely be plenty of suitors for Alonso, as they will value his power profile in the middle of their orders. MLB Trade Rumors projects the first baseman to get a five-year, $125M contract this offseason. Three of their writers have him going to the Nationals, while the fourth has him returning to New York.
New York’s decision on Alonso could shape their offseason. If the Mets let him depart, they will lose one of the greatest power hitters in franchise history. However, the money could be spent in better places to improve the team.
If the Mets resign Alonso, they will likely have to deal with some form of decline from him during the duration of the contract. However, it will allow the team to resign a huge power threat in the middle of their order for years to come. No matter what path they choose, Alonso will have a big impact on the Mets’ offseason.
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