Pete Alonso declared himself the best power hitter on the planet at the Home Run Derby, and for fans outside of New York, that might have sounded like prototypical big-city arrogance. Alonso was not, in fact, leading the majors in home runs. He was not, in fact, even selected to play in the All-Star Game.
But he was a two-time derby champ and, of greater consequence, a proud representative of a franchise that could often use the swagger in a market controlled by the storied franchise next door. Alonso thoroughly enjoys being a larger-than-life figure in a larger-than-life town. It’s one of the best things the Mets have going for them at a time when a lot of things are going right.
Alonso did what he was supposed to do Sunday in the sixth inning, with the Mets trailing 3-1 and looking ready to lose a series to the Blue Jays, a middling AL East team that would be dangerous in the NL East. With one out and a man on, Ryan Borucki threw a full-count, 84 mph slider that Alonso sent whistling out of the park at 106.2 mph. The first baseman dropped his bat on the way to first, looked into his dugout, and turned his palms toward the sky.
It wasn’t quite Michael Jordan’s famous shrug in the 1992 Finals, but hey, it fit the first-place moment on a hopeful July day at Citi Field.
Four batters later, pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil delivered a two-run double to give the Mets a lead that they would not relinquish. Alonso’s swing had changed the game, and put his team in position to win for the fifth time in its last seven games, and to maintain a four-game divisional lead over the Phillies.
“It fires us all up,” McNeil said of the impact an Alonso homer has on his teammates. “When he does something like that … there’s new life and new energy.”
And a new perspective on where the Mets are and where they might be heading. The players have shown the front office that they are worthy of more additions this week — ahead of Friday’s trade deadline — on top of 41-year-old Rich Hill, who punctuated his pro’s pro effort Sunday by repeatedly bringing up the World Series (as a Mets target) in his postgame press conference.
Good for Hill, and for all Mets fans who have been waiting since 1986 for championship ring No. 3. The Mets should add more pitching along with Kris Bryant (who, again, should not be acquired in lieu of a live arm, for those whose reading comprehension skills might’ve diminished over time). They should seize their golden opportunity to win the NL East, skip the wild-card shootout, and take their October chances with the world’s best pitcher, Jacob deGrom, and an enhanced supporting cast.
They should also take their chances with Alonso, who has five homers and 10 RBIs since his dazzling show of power at the derby. You might say that’s why they pay him the big bucks, except that they don’t pay him the big bucks. Alonso’s $1 million first-place prize in Denver beat his annual wage by more than three hundred grand.
Yes, you can be a money player without making crazy money.
“When he hits one,” Luis Rojas said, “you feel this is our guy out there. … He’s the guy. That’s what everyone feeds off of. They expect things to happen when he’s at the plate. When he’s this hot, it just gives a good vibe to the guys.”
The manager sees the slugger staying back on the ball, laying off bad pitches, staying quiet in the box.
Staying quiet until he makes the kind of contact that can hurt your eardrums.
Even with last year’s 60-game season, Alonso has hit as many home runs (91) as Ted Williams hit in his first three seasons in the bigs. If he stays healthy, Alonso will likely become only the eighth man ever to reach the 100-homer mark in his first three years.
He broke Aaron Judge’s rookie record for home runs with his 53rd, and it’s clear he’s ready to engage Judge in a long-term battle for long-ball supremacy in New York. In Denver, where Alonso honored the New York roots of Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and Mobb Deep, he made it clear that his father’s birthplace means a ton to him.
“I wanted to set the vibe and just represent for New York,” he said then. “I love the city and I love playing for the Mets. I just feel connected to the people and the culture of the city.”
His personality matches up perfectly with the personality of the market. When Pete Alonso puts a big swing on the ball, everything changes. The Mets’ ambitions can travel as far as his longest home runs.