There's no guarantee that Pete Alonso stays with the New York Mets beyond the 2023 season. The Mets reportedly held trade talks involving the 28-year old first baseman prior to the deadline, and with the team undergoing a soft reset, Alonso could be end up being an established veteran who gives way. But Alonso is clearly blocking out all that noise, especially when he's still playing at a very high level for a Mets team that has its sights set towards returning to its 2022 glory.
On Sunday, with the Mets squaring off against the red-hot Seattle Mariners, Alonso was locked in on the plate. He hit two dingers and drove in four runs as the Mets came away with an impressive 6-3 victory over the AL West leaders. The Mets first baseman now has 40 home runs and 100 runs batted in on the season — the third time in his first five big league seasons wherein he has reached those HR and RBI benchmarks.
In doing so, Pete Alonso became just the fifth player in MLB history to smack at least 40 home runs three times in his first five campaigns, joining the likes of Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (who accomplished the feat four times instead of just three), Eddie Mathews, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard. Those are big names in the power department, with the Mets slugger even needing a bit of time to process the fact that he's in the company of those esteemed power hitters.
“[Being in that company is] kind of mind-baffling. Impressive names. I had no idea,” Alonso said, per Associated Press via ESPN.
Those are impressive names indeed, with none more prestigious than Albert Pujols. Pujols hit 40+ home runs in a single season seven times in his career, and he ended his career that will surely get him enshrined into Cooperstown with 703 dingers, good for fourth all time. The Mets first baseman will surely do everything in his power to try and emulate Pujols to the best of his abilities.
In addition to all the other Hall of Famers, however, Ryan Howard's name stands out. Howard, after an impressive start to his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, declined rapidly, which should be a cautionary tale for the Mets slugger.