Pete Alonso Named NL Player of the Week
The Mets first baseman was recognized by MLB for his outstanding play.
The heart and soul of the New York Mets had himself a week.
On Monday, MLB announced that Pete Alonso was named the National League's Player of the Week, after slashing .429/.556/1.048 with four home runs, seven RBI, and a 305 wRC+. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser recieved the honor for the American League.
The 29-year-old improved his numbers to .271/.358/.593 with six homers and 10 RBI after his torrid week. Over those six games against the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals, Alonso had multiple hits in four of them, including a 3-for-3, two-homer performance on Saturday. He also drew six walks, allowing him to reach base in every game over the week (he drew three walks in the two games where he went hitless). With his batting average at .167 entering the week, Alonso raised it by 104 points; his on-base percentage saw an even larger increase, jumping up 136 points.
Most importantly to Alonso, however, was that the Mets won both of their series during his outstanding week, as they took two of three from both the Braves and Royals. Even better was the quality of opponents the Mets were facing; the Braves need no introduction, as they had won the NL East every year since 2018 and had the best record in MLB last season. On the other hand, the Royals got off to an extremely hot start by going on a seven-game winning streak prior to their series at Citi Field, which included a sweep over the Houston Astros; nonetheless, the Mets cooled off Kansas City by taking the opening and rubber games.
Thanks to Alonso's efforts, the Mets have improved their record to 7-8 and can get back to .500 with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. The Pirates have also gotten off to a strong 11-5 start, so the Mets will look to cool off another hot team.
Nonetheless, with Alonso's fantastic play as of late, the Mets should like their chances against any opponent that comes their way as they round into form.
