PHOENIX — Pete Alonso has been etching his name in the Mets’ history books since he debuted as a rookie in 2019. But with his contract set to expire after the World Series, every new record he sets brings more attention to his looming free agency.
Fans wonder, will this record be the last?
Tuesday night in Phoenix he hit his 220th home run to tie Hall-of-Fame former catcher Mike Piazza for third all-time. With a little more than a month left to play, barring disaster, he’ll surpass Piazza to take sole possession of third place. This record seemed to hold a little more meaning given that he was a fan of Piazza growing up.
“People told me after the game. Mike was a childhood hero of mine, so that’s really special,” Alonso said after the Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 at Chase Field. “He’s one of those guys I looked up to growing up, and it’s that’s really special. I’m just happy that I was able to help contribute tonight in a positive way, have good at bats and get us on the board. It’s all really, really cool.”
Alonso doesn’t like to think about his legacy at this point in his career. And why would he? He’s not even 30 yet and hasn’t accomplished his ultimate goal of winning a World Series. The four-time All-Star first baseman has played in only one postseason series and has plenty of years left to play.
“It’s something that I don’t really like to think of during the season,” he said. “But those certain moments, they really stay with me during the offseason, so that’s when I have time to think about and reflect on some things. So this moment is really special, but I don’t think it’s really going to set in until the season is done.”
Alonso prefers to keep his head in the present. He reflects on his play nightly by journaling after most games. The journal entries contain information about his at-bats, his defense and general observations from games.
It’s a practice that he’s maintained going back to his days playing at the University of Florida. Now six years into his big league career, Alonso has found the ritual to be helpful for dissecting his own game and staying focused on daily goals and daily work.
“I’m just trying to help the team win every single day,” he said. “I think we have a little bit over a month of baseball left, and for me, I want to contribute any way I can — in a positive way — so I can help the team win.”
There will come a time soon when Alonso has to make decisions for his future. His hiring of agent Scott Boras last winter means he’s already started thinking about his first free-agent contract. Alonso hasn’t shed much light on his thought process, other than saying he loves playing for the Mets and playing in New York. Alonso has never backed down from this claim and it does seem genuine.
Former Mets greats want to see Alonso stay in Queens. David Wright recently went on SNY and talked about his desire to see the team lock him up long term and Piazza told The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner in June that he wants to see Alonso in a Mets uniform past this season.
“I hope they work it out,” Piazza told Kepner. “Because I do believe he means a lot here.”
Alonso has done a good job of keeping the focus and conversation about his play on the field instead of free agency, but a down season has brought more questions about his value and what his next contract could look like. The home run he hit to tie Piazza was only his 28th of the season. This might be the first season in his career (excluding the abbreviated COVID season) where he doesn’t reach the 40-homer mark. Teams will try to determine whether this year is just an aberration or whether he’s regressing with age.
Regardless, there will be plenty of time this winter to debate Alonso’s future and his legacy with the Mets. Right now, he’s just trying to get the only team he’s ever known to the playoffs.
“I think that we’re going to be there if we continue to play good baseball like we have in the second half,” Alonso said. “I think we’ll get there for sure.”
