Tom Verducci on How Pete Alonso’s Swing Has Evolved Since Joining the Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are getting Pete Alonso at the peak of his career, thanks to the evolution of his swing over the last few years .

I will show you those adjustments based on the same pitches, sweepers from right-handers left on the inside part of the plate.

This one from 2023.

You can see how Alonso gets jammed on the pitch.

This one, His first home run with the Orioles this spring training .

Let's dive into the difference.

You can see on the right, Alonso is in a much more upright position.

Now, let's track the movement of his head.

On the left, that's a long stride and he's diving into the baseball.

The head is going to move a lot more from setup to contact than it does in 2026.

And check out the major difference in the spine angle, much more hunched over in 2023.

Let's take a look at that swing and slow motion, noting the more upright position, the better spine angle.

Now, full speed.

Pete Alonso has pulled off the holy grail of hitting.

He has shortened his stroke while adding exit velocity.

In 2023 , his exit velocity was average, 55th percentile.

Last season, it was elite, 97th percentile.

Pete Alonso has always been a slugger.

He's become a better hitter.