New York Mets' Pete Alonso Continues Historic Pace After Career-Best Month
LOS ANGELES - While there is still a long way to go in the regular season, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is putting together an MVP caliber year throughout the first 55 games in 2022.
In 207 at-bats, the 27-year-old has slugged 16 home runs (tied for second in MLB, tied for most in NL) and his 53 RBIs are tied with Jose Ramirez for the most in baseball. He is currently on-pace to smack 47 homers and drive in 156 runs this year, which would shatter the Mets' current single-season franchise record of 124 RBIs set by David Wright and Mike Piazza.
Alonso is coming off a career-best month, in which he drove in 30 RBIs, the most by a Met in the month of May ever. It was also the first time a Mets player has accomplished this feat of 30 RBIs in a single-month since Carlos Beltran's 32 RBIs in July of 2006. Beltran finished fourth in the NL MVP race that year. Along with his 30 runs driven in, Alonso smashed nine homers, while slashing .315/.398/.611 in a complete month of May.
So what does this record-setting month mean to Alonso?
“It’s great," Alonso told Inside the Mets in front of his locker in the Dodgers' visiting clubhouse on Friday, "but I just want to keep helping my team win."
"My job is to have quality at-bats. For me, every game is a run scoring competition. If I can do my job by driving guys in and help my team win, then I’m super happy. I think (May) was the best month in the big-leagues that I’ve had so far, and it was awesome. It was really fun to compete at a high level like that.”
On Saturday night, Alonso helped the Mets snap their two-game losing streak out west in a 9-4 thumping of the Dodgers. He cracked two homers, collected three hits and drove in five runs. His pair of long balls moved him into a tie with Kevin McReynolds for the 10th-most homers in Mets history with 122 for his career. Pretty shocking to fathom, considering Alonso made his MLB debut in 2019 and saw 102 games wiped in his second season due to the pandemic.
Saturday's showing was the third five-RBI game by Alonso already this season, further increasing his historic pace.
“It’s great, It’s fantastic," Alonso said after the Mets' win, of his league-leading RBI total and astounding pace. "I just want to be as consistent as possible and capitalize on opportunities. I want to master my consistency and be the same guy every day.”
He is also pleased with his table setters in front of him - Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor, who were on-base six times on Saturday.
“If they aren’t on-base, I don’t have anyone to drive in," Alonso said. "I feel like I’ve done a really good job of situational hitting as well. Just playing the game and taking what it gives me. Having those guys have high-quality at-bats, and having three speedy guys (in front of me) is awesome."
Not only are Alonso's power and RBI numbers off the charts, but he is having a complete year at the plate, slashing .285/.363/.556 with a .919 OPS.
“Doing damage is a product of staying in control and staying disciplined in my plan," Alonso said. "That’s not deviating and swinging at what the pitcher wants me to swing at. I establish my zone, no one knows that but me and if they come (into my zone) I just stay focused and get the job done and capitalize.”
Alonso has seven homers in 11 career games at Dodger Stadium. Coincidentally, this year's Home Run Derby will be held in this ballpark, and Alonso has won the last two titles in 2019 and 2021 (pandemic cancelled it in 2020).
"I still haven't gotten an invite yet," Alonso joked about this year's derby.
Alonso's impressive start has included a career-best month and a historic pace. These results have helped the Mets jump out to a 36-19 record and 8.5 game lead in the NL East.
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