Inside The Mets

Why Mets May Already Have Pete Alonso Lineup Spot Filled

This Mets player has the potential to help atone for what losing Pete Alonso might do to New York's lineup.
Grant Young|
Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates scoring on an RBI from right fielder Starling Marte (6, not pictured) with New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates scoring on an RBI from right fielder Starling Marte (6, not pictured) with New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

It still remains to be seen whether Pete Alonso will be returning to the New York Mets in 2025.

While the consensus seems to be that he'll likely be coming back to Queens, fans won't know for certain until Alonso signs on the dotted line and it's made official.

If Alonso ends up elsewhere, the Mets will surely miss his presence in the middle of their lineup. But if things go according to catcher Francisco Alvarez's plan, he'll perform well enough that the Polar Bear's potential absence won't be as keenly felt.

A January 31 article from Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post quoted Alvarez saying, "I’m working on a lot of things in my hitting. … I have changed a lot of things,” last weekend at the fanfest at Citi Field.

“So I’m going to have more plate discipline, and I’m going to have better numbers, too,” he added.

The article later quotes Alvarez saying, "I learned a lot from last year, so it’s going to be way different this year."

The 23-year-old backstop hit .237 with a .710 OPS and 11 home runs during the 2024 regular season, but only produced a .577 OPS during the postseason.

Sanchez writes in the article, "In a lineup that at least today does not have Pete Alonso and boasts just Mark Vientos and the switch-hitting Francisco Lindor as power threats from the right side, Alvarez looms as a wild card.

"If the former No. 1 prospect in all of baseball develops into the hitter the club envisioned, the Mets’ order would look much more intimidating."

The 25 home runs that Alvarez hit across 123 games in 2023 proved that he has power potential. If he can find that same form again, the Mets' offense will be much better off.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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