Former Gator Pete Alonso is not-so-quietly having a monster year
The New York Mets sit atop the NL East as they approach the 100-game mark in the 2022 season, and at the heart of the lineup is none other than former Floirda first baseman Pete Alonso.
With 84 runs batted in, Alonso leads not only the national league but all of baseball in the statistical category. His 26 home runs rank third in the NL and he’s in the top five in both slugging percentage and OPS. And he’s done it all in one of the most trying years of his life.
A spring car accident had Alonso’s life flashing before his eyes and it’s something he’s still working to get over today, according to this moving piece he penned in the Player’s Tribune. He’s done work off the field to help those in need with the Alonso Foundation, and on the field he’s all about bringing a championship to New York.
While the Mets have found success with Alonso in the cleanup spot, he’s also been at the center of some mild controversy. The Mets get hit by pitches a lot and Alonso is third in the league in HBPs. Two of those ball were at his head, which is as scary as it gets in baseball. Eventually, the Mets fought back, literally.
Jomboy Media did a good job covering the May scuffle between the Mets and Cardinals, and Alonso’s interactions with a St. Louis coach were focused on fairly heavily.
Then there was the three-peat attempt at the Home Run Derby that wasn’t meant to be. Alonso still made headlines deadlifting and meditating before his turn to hit. He eventually was elimnated in the second round against Julio Rodridguez, who hit 81 combined homer in the event.
It’s been anything but quiet for Alonso this season, but it’s shaping up to be the best one so far in his four-year career. Gators Wire is officially on Polar Bear watch for the rest of the season as Alonso looks to finish out a campaign that could earn him some MVP votes. His fWAR (2.8) might not be pacing for the typical 6.00+ number we see from MVPs, but a hot streak could get him where he needs to be.
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