QUEENS — Despite the Mets trying to find their way following a trade deadline of selling, Pete Alonso is enjoying some of his best baseball as of late.
Yet the man known for his unrelenting power has a knack for foraying into the metaphysical side of the game regardless of how well he’s performing, even after a Monday night slugfest in which he smashed two home runs and drove in six runs during the Mets’ 11-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs to snap a six-game losing streak.
“I just want to keep putting the best version of myself out there every single day. Success isn’t guaranteed in the big leagues,” Alonso began. “Every single day is a privilege and the other guy out there is the best in the world regardless of who you’re playing or what team you’re with.”
His erudite outlook has remained steady, which initially helped him out of the worst slumps of his career earlier this summer. From May 1 to July 19 (59 games), Alonso batted just .175 with 15 of his 37 hits during the stretch coming in the form of home runs. His .713 OPS was also 163 points lower than his career mark.
“You just have to find positives in every situation and make a meal out of a breadcrumb,” Alonso said during that stretch last month.
After a rolling opposite-field single during a 6-2 loss on July 20 against the Chicago White Sox, things just seemed to click.
He’s slashing .333/.384/.742 (1.126 OPS) with seven home runs and 21 RBI in his last 17 games. That includes three separate nights in which he’s hit two home runs with five or more runs batted in — becoming the first player in MLB history to have three such games in a two-week span (h/t Mike Mayer, Metsmerized).
“I’m feeling super confident but it’s just hard work, determination, and unrelenting self-belief even when things aren’t going that well,” Alonso said of his resurgence. “So I’ve had a lot of talks, whether it be with teammates or with coaches, and the people here have been super supportive and super helpful. Especially when things weren’t going the way I wanted to.”
There’s an added dimension of Alonso’s hot streak that is worth commendation. He’s committed to finding a high level of consistency despite the Mets punting the rest of the 2023 season where the only thing to play for — as general manager Billy Eppler, Alonso, and numerous teammates described as — pride.
“I’m so proud of the way — thick and thin — [he’s] consistent approach to everything,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s hard. He’s grinding. He’s not giving away at-bats.”
“That’s all you can do,” Alonso added. “Wherever we’re at at the end of the year, then that’s where we’ll be.”
