N.Y. Mets: Hot Summer Months Await The Polar Bear

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

With the Onset of Summer Looming How 

Will the Polar Bear Cope With the Heat?

Here we are mid-June, and the Mets 24-year old rookie first baseman remains one of the more under spoken stories in baseball not only locally but throughout the major leagues.  Pete Alonso has played in all but one game of the Mets 71 games to date during which he's slashing .263/.347/.604/.951, with 23 home runs and 53 RBI through his first 255 major league at-bats - all quite commendable by any measure.

So where does he rate this season among the rest of his senior circuit competition?  He is second in home runs; sixth in slugging; seventh in RBI; eighth in OPS; and 11th in WAR.

No rookie has impacted the Mets line-up quite like Alonso since Darryl Strawberry first donned a uniform during his 1983 ROY season when he slashed .257/.336/.512/.848, with 26 home runs and 74 RBI through 122 games and 420 at-bats.  Alonso has 52 games left before drawing equal with Strawberry's games played.  After which, about 40 or so games should remain in the regular season.  Suffice it to say Alonso is well on his way towards rewriting a Mets rookie record or two, or even three.

Of course all that remains to be seen ... in the meantime, credit goes to @Koosman2pointOh for Tweeting some very curious splits worth reiterating.


Some Good Splits:

• Hits with equal power both home (13) and away (12).
• RHP (.246; 15 HR; 35 RBI) vs. LHP (.291; 8 HR; 18 RBI).
• Slashing .350/.386/.900, seven home runs, 15 RBI, in Late and Close Games.
• Batting .318, eight home runs, 20 RBI, in Tie Games.
• Hit 12 of 23 home runs in 7th through 9th innings.
• Slashing .322/.398/.844, with 14 home runs, 29 RBI, vs. relief pitchers.
• Batting .284, with 13 of 23 home runs, and 13 RBI, with no runners on base.

And there's the rub ...

There was a lot more to Pete Alonso's home run against the Cardinals at Citi Field on Saturday than just it landing in the upper deck.  And no .. Jeff Wilpon's remarks had nothing to do with it.  But I would say Son of PON has no business near the players.  Why else employ a general manager?  Although it was nice having Alonso sticking it back to the COO, I digress.  Rather the point at hand is that Alonso's majestic blast occurred with two runners on base.


Some Bad and Some Ugly Splits:

• Slashing .233/.313/.459, with eight home runs, 21 RBI, vs. starting pitchers.
• Batting .226 with runners on base, nine home runs, 37 RBI.
• Batting .192 with RiSP, four home runs, 24 RBI.
• Batting .091 w/2 outs RiSP, 0 home runs, four RBI.
• 0 for 4 w/ bases loaded.

Let's chalk up these metrics to on-the-job training and see how he negotiates the next round of adjustments be it made by opposing pitchers or his own.  Otherwise he's doing a fine job overall including demonstrating proficiency at first base.

Even more noticeable however has been his propensity for assuming a leadership role and outwardly exerting himself as a motivator.  It's a curious situation and a somewhat odd role for a rookie to be taking upon himself.  But for as long as the other players particularly the more veteran types aren't countering him with resistance, then so be it for as long as his bat continues backing up his personality like it did during the recent Subway Series.  It was good seeing him rebound after a dormant first game against the Yankees with a home run in game two.

Nothing like a big hit on a big stage, right?

Because of the rather high bar Alonso has thus far set for himself Mickey Callaway and Mets fans alike can only hope he's mentally prepared and physically ready to handle the monumental task the front office stands poised to thrust upon his rookie shoulders.  For no one expects the front office (err ... the COO) to import the requisite premium talent needed for overtaking the division and National League.

Let them prove us all wrong.

Until then ...

Go Polar Bear, Go!