Pete Alonso is in a perfect moment, breaking records and leading the New York Mets offense with undeniable power. His recent milestone-laden performance is not only driving the team, but also highlights the validity of his personal bet in the contract market. However, his good form casts doubt on his future and whether fans will get to enjoy it or whether it will all be too fleeting.
Alonso demonstrated his dominance once again in the 12-6 victory over the Yankees in the “Subway Series”. In that game, he was not only the main architect of the offensive damage after Brandon Nimmo’s initial grand slam, but also reached several significant milestones.
Regarding his performance, manager Carlos Mendoza praised his approach. “He’s controlling the strike zone. We know the power he has”. On the other hand, the player remains humble. “I know (about the record), but I just want to help the team win. That’s really all I want to do”.
Pete Alonso’s records
Alonso showed what he is made of in his last game and in addition to wowing the fans, he also achieved a couple of milestones:
- He surpassed David Wright by hitting his 11th career home run against the Yankees, setting a new record for the Mets.
- With five additional RBIs, he reached 659 in his career with the franchise, surpassing Mike Piazza and moving into third place in Mets history.
- His two home runs in the game brought him even closer to Darryl Strawberry, leaving him just six home runs shy of breaking the franchise’s all-time home run record (246).
A very short contract?
Alonso’s incredible current form takes on particular significance when considering his contractual situation. Pete Alonso is playing the 2024 season under a two-year, $20.5 million contract, which makes him an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign. This comes after the Mets and his agent, Scott Boras, failed to agree on a long-term contract extension.
Alonso has bet on himself, opting to play out his last year instead of signing a long-term deal that, at the time, might have been less lucrative than he could get on the open market. The narrative that he “lost money by staying with the Mets” refers to the long-term financial security he might have had before, in exchange for the chance to get a much bigger contract if he maintains or improves his level in 2024.
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