The tension with which the Mets subjected Pete Alonso to his renewal has an unexpected effect

The first month of the Major League Baseball season has been incredible for New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.

After a long and tense offseason in which it seemed that Alonso would accept more money to sign with another franchise, the fan-favorite slugger finally got a short-term deal that allowed him to stay in Queens.

And it’s hard to imagine where the Mets would be right now if Alonso decided to leave town instead of re-signing.

Pete Alonso’s impressive numbers in 2025

After the first 25 games of the season, Pete Alonso is tied for second in MLB in RBIs with 26. He is also fifth in batting average, at .341, and second in OPS (on-base plus slugging) at 1.122.

With these early achievements in mind, Alonso received well-deserved national recognition on April 24, right after the Mets swept their National League East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.

“The power of the Polar Bear! Pete Alonso and the Mets’ great start continues!” MLB’s official X account posted. Along with a graphic with his statistics, it said: “Pete Alonso is on fire.”

Not far from the truth, in a start to the season in which the Polar Bear has all the merits to be in the running for MVP.

Alonso’s contract has paid off

Alonso accepted a two-year, $54 million contract in the offseason, but the key stipulation of the deal was an opt-out clause in 2026.

There is still a long way to go, but since April 25, Alonso has been making the most of this clause.

With a seven-game winning streak heading into the weekend, the Mets lead MLB with an 18-7 record. But they wouldn’t be in this position without their first baseman, a player who is passionate about having fun.

After starting the year by losing two of three games to the Houston Astros, the Mets almost lost another two of three in Miami, but Alonso saved the day with a game-tying three-run homer in the eighth inning, and since then, the Mets have been on a roll with “Polar Bear Pete” leading the way.

For now, Alonso deserves all the attention he is receiving in April, and has grabbed the headlines with a team that has other great figures such as Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, but without a doubt, Alonso has been the key man for the team in the first month of the season.