Mets superstar slugger earns this free agent rank from former MLB executive

Last offseason, the New York Mets made several huge moves, headlined by signing right fielder Juan Soto to a historic 15-year, $765 million deal, bringing him over from the crosstown rival New York Yankees.

They didn’t stop spending after that, with owner Steve Cohen opening up the checkbook and allowing the front office to bring in as much talent as they possibly could, regardless of cost.

Of course, one of the other deals that the Mets completed was with homegrown superstar Pete Alonso. The first baseman was entering free agency for the first time in his career and it looked as if the two sides would be parting ways at points; New York wasn’t willing to offer Alonso the kind of long-term deal he was seeking, allowing him to search the market for something closer to what he desired.

Pete Alonso hits career homer No. 253, passing Darryl Strawberry for the most home runs in @Mets franchise history! pic.twitter.com/QIExcEVeoT
— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2025

However, a lucrative long-term deal never materialized from any other franchise. That led to Alonso agreeing to a two-year, $54 million deal to return to New York with hopes of improving his value enough that he could cash in after the 2025 season.

He has certainly achieved that goal, putting together an incredibly productive campaign that will all but likely result in him declining his $24 million player option for 2026, in hopes of landing that long-term deal.

Where does Pete Alonso rank amongst this year's free agent class?

Unless he has a total meltdown over the final few weeks of the season, Alonso is in a great position to make himself a ton of money. Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) certainly believes it is possible, ranking the Polar Bear as the No. 5 free agent who could be available this winter.

His profile isn’t one that normally receives a ton of attention in free agency, which is why his market was so cold last winter. Teams aren’t prioritizing spending on right-handed first basemen who don’t offer value as a baserunner or fielder.

Those players need to put together elite performances at the plate to garner attention, and thus far in 2025, Alonso has done just that with arguably the best all-around season of his career with the bat.

Top 25 potential MLB free agents for 2025-26 as the offseason draws nearer https://t.co/EZVkzejXGN
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) August 15, 2025

Entering play on Friday, Alonso leads MLB with 99 RBI, while his 28 home runs are tied for ninth in baseball and fourth in the National League. The 30-year-old's .884 OPS is seventh in the NL and would be the second-best mark in his career, behind his historic rookie campaign when he had a .941 OPS.

Alonso has an OPS+ of 150, which would be the highest mark of his career, to go along with an improved strikeout rate and still steady walk rate. His Baseball Savant page features plenty of elite red numbers as one of the best middle-of-the-order producers in baseball.

He loves the Mets and the feeling is mutual from the organization and fanbase. His value to the franchise, as the all-time home run leader, means more than it would to any other team in MLB. But if they don’t commit the kind of long-term money he wants, he could find it elsewhere, after coming off such a great campaign.

Where does Pete Alonso rank amongst this year's free agent class?

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