Pete Alonso is ‘not at all’ interested in being the Mets’ full-time designated hitter

ATLANTA — Pete Alonso is not tossing his hat into the ring if the designated hitter comes to the National League next season.

The first baseman believes he’s earned the opportunity to remain at his primary corner infield position for the Mets. The universal DH is expected to be included in MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement. The existing CBA expires on Dec. 1.

“Not at all,” Alonso said Friday at Truist Park when asked if he would be open to being the team’s full-time DH. “I think I’m a really good first baseman with potential to win a Gold Glove. I think that I would be selling myself short to label myself as that. If I need to DH maybe one day, or if someone needs to rotate in, that’s fine.

“But I’m a first baseman. I don’t think I’ll ever think of myself as a DH. And I think that as I continue to progress, I’m going to be able — not just win one Gold Glove — but I feel like I’m going to win multiple in my career. This is only my third year, so I’m just going to keep getting better.”

Alonso, whose powerful bat has helped him record an 8.2 fWAR in three major-league seasons, has a slightly above average 1 Defensive Runs Saved and a slightly below average -1 Ultimate Zone Rating in his career, per FanGraphs. It is true that Alonso’s hard work has improved his defense over the past few years, going from -6 Outs Above Average in 2019, to -5 OAA in 2020, to 1 OAA in 2021, per Statcast’s metrics. Alonso’s 1 OAA this season is ranked 13th in the league among qualified first basemen.

But his dreams of winning multiple Gold Gloves will require more work. From 2019 to 2021, Alonso ranks 32nd in the league with an OAA of -10 among qualified first basemen. And though we’ve seen Alonso scoop a few grounders in the dirt pretty impressively this season, he still struggles going to his right side.

“He’s gotten so much better at first,” said manager Luis Rojas, who saw Alonso improve first-hand from the minors to the big leagues. “Pete right now plays as an average first baseman at the big-league level, defensively. Just because of how he works and his mentality towards this game, I think he’s just going to keep getting better. Pete is a first baseman.”

Defense was always Alonso’s weakness as he climbed the minor-league ladder. Over the years, his fielding ability became a chip on his shoulder, consciously trying to improve and, like the shirt he wore on Friday said, prove ‘em all wrong.

Here’s what Baseball America wrote about Alonso before he was called up for his rookie 2019 season:

“Defense is Alonso’s bugaboo and has become his developmental focal point. Hard hands and limited mobility at first base turn some routine plays into adventures, but he scoops throws from infielders well. He must keep working to become even adequate defensively.”

Lucky for Alonso, the Mets have a certain veteran second baseman’s salary coming back on the books next year.

Robinson Cano, who was suspended for the 2021 season after testing positive for PEDs for the second time in his career, will once again become a factor for the Amazin’s in 2022. It will be the final year of his contract, and if the Mets decide to keep him on the roster, he would be a solid fit for the DH. Dominic Smith, who has played mostly left field since Alonso took over at first, is another DH option for the team.

In either scenario of Cano or Smith taking over DH duties, Alonso can continue building on his progress at first base next season – while making sure the letters DH are nowhere near his spot on the lineup card.

MIKE HAS A FAN IN PETE

Michael Conforto had an emotional night Thursday during the Mets’ last game at Citi Field. He went 3-for-5 with two RBI and made a sensational shoestring catch in the ninth inning to cap what could be his final home game in blue and orange.

Conforto becomes a free agent after the season, and while it’s likely the Mets will give him a qualifying offer, it’s unlikely he and his agent, Scott Boras, will accept it.

Alonso has played alongside Conforto for three years, and the first baseman vouched for him, hoping the Mets keep the outfielder in Queens at least for another year.

“Michael is a brother to me,” Alonso said. “He’s a really special player and special person. He’s an excellent teammate and I would love to have him back. But again, because I care about him a lot, I want him to make the best decision for him and his family and whatever is best for him as an individual.

“Selfishly, I would love to have him. He’s an excellent player, he’s given so much to this organization. He’s given blood, sweat and tears and then some. He’s a pro. He’s a true pro and it’d be fantastic to have him. If it doesn’t work out, if he decides to go somewhere else, then whoever gets him is going to be extremely lucky.”