It feels like with every home run he hits, Pete Alonso is adding a few more dollars to his future contract — whether that be with the New York Mets or someone else.
The 28-year-old slugger spent the weekend etching his name into record books unforeseen by Mets.
With two home runs on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, Alonso posted his third 40-home-run season of his career. Before his arrival in 2019, the Mets had three 40-home-run seasons in their previous 57 years of existence.
He joined Ryan Howard, Ralph Kiner, Albert Pujols, and Eddie Mathews as the only players in MLB history to record three 40-plus-homer seasons in the first five years of his career. He also joined David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Darryl Strawberry as the only Mets to record three or more seasons of 100-plus RBI.
“I mean, holy s—t,” Alonso said when he was shown the exclusive company he joined.
It’s a similar sentiment to what Mets fans shout when watching one of his majestic home runs leave Citi Field. After all, the organization has never had a home run hitter this prolific come up through their ranks and have the clear avenue of staying with the franchise for the majority of his career.
Off-field issues robbed Strawberry of doing that with the Mets — which is why his franchise record 252 home runs will fall sooner rather than later if Alonso sticks around. Piazza spent the first five-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers before joining New York at 29 years old.
Alonso is just 66 home runs away from breaking Strawberry’s record, which is a number that has an outside chance of being broken before the end of next season — his sixth in the majors — given the pace he’s currently hitting the ball out of the yard. But it would likely be a mark that falls early in 2025, which begs the question: Will he be around to break it?
The Mets and Alonso have remained mum on any potential contract extension talks as his current deal expires at the end of the 2024 season. Given his standing as the top power hitter in the National League and a perceived franchise cornerstone, the apparent lack of haste and the gap between the two parties is something that is sending up red flags — so much so that the Mets reportedly floated Alonso’s name in trade talks at the deadline.
Steve Cohen has the money to give Alonso what he wants, even if the Mets are taking a step back on spending this winter. At this rate, it appears as though it will be in the neighborhood of eight years and approximately $200 million — probably a little bit more given the homer pace he’s currently on (he could finish with 50 home runs this season).
It makes this winter paramount for ensuring that the franchise’s greatest power hitter will be what so many before him couldn’t become in blue and orange: A lifer.
For more on Pete Alonso and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
