New York Mets: Three Pete Alonso predictions for the 2020 season

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets smiles in the third inning of their game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on September 26, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is coming off a dazzling rookie season. What can we predict from him in year two?

This time last year, fans of the New York Mets were passionately debating whether or not Pete Alonso should make the Opening Day roster. In fact, many were frustrated when the team elected to forgo an extra year of contract control in order to ensure the slugging first baseman was in the major leagues at the beginning of the season.

Fast forward one year, and Alonso has ascended to super-stardom! Not only was the Polar Bear able to claim a unanimous National League Rookie of the Year selection, but he also edged out Yankees phenom Aaron Judge for the major league rookie home run record, and added the 2019 Home Run Derby title to his trophy case.

As the season approaches, Alonso is firmly cemented as one of the most important players on the Mets’ roster. Where do he go from here? Here are three predictions for 2020:

Home Run Derby Champion, Again

In the grand scheme of things, this is a relatively unimportant accomplishment. While the home run derby is a fun event, Alonso would be the first to tell you that his personal goals deal with helping the team win.

However, there’s also no denying that the slugger had the time of his life in last season’s derby. His energy and excitement were contagious (even through the TV screen). In fact, many have speculated that his enthusiasm was a major catalyst toward his victory.

The field should be loaded in 2020. Sluggers like Christian Yelich, Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, Eugenio Suarez, Cody Bellinger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Josh Bell are all likely to be considered as contest participants. The “juiced ball” season in 2019 will also likely regress to the mean, leading to lower home runs totals across the sport.

At the end of the day, Alonso still has massive power. There is reason to believe that his skills as a hitter will be improved with the benefit of a full MLB season under his belt. Expect him to be the odds-on favorite to win the event.

DENVER, COLORADO – SEPTEMBER 18: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets circles the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 18, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Alonso finishes the season in the top three of home runs

Last season, Alonso’s 53 homers placed him at the top of the league’s leaderboard. While the polar bear’s race was aided by late-season injuries to former MVPs Mike Trout and Christian Yelich, he was able to win the homer run crowd crown with a comfortable four blast lead.

As much fun as it would be to see Alonso win back to back home run crowns, most Mets fans would happily settle for a finish anywhere near the top of the leader board. For the purpose of this article, let’s set the goal at a top-three finish. If the slugger is able to back up his historic rookie campaign with another season with totals in the mid-to-high-40’s, he will have done his part in leading the team’s offense.

This production will be vital to the team’s overall success. The Mets had a longstanding reputation as a pitching heavy team with a weak offense before Alonso’s arrival. In fact, the team ranked just 21st in home runs and 23rd in total runs scored in 2018. Fast forward one season and the team established itself as a legitimate offensive power, finishing 2019 ranked 11th in homers and 13th in runs.

To be fair, this leap in production was the result of more than one player. But it is impossible to overstate the jolt that the first baseman brought to the team. If the Mets hope to support their pitching staff by entering the conversation as a top ten offense, Alonso will need to finish among the lead leaders once again.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 11: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets waits to bat against the Washington Nationals during their game at Citi Field on August 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

A trip to the postseason and a souvenir hit

This is unquestionably the most important prediction for Alonso. While his first season in the majors was impressive my any measurement, it was missing one glaring accomplishment: a trip to the postseason. After a hard-fought year, the Mets tragically finished as the best National League team on the outside of the postseason.

General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen has made no secret of the fact that his team is in “win-now” mode. The Mets still have prime Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard in the rotation. They also retained 2019 trade deadline acquisition Marcus Stroman to bolster their starting staff.

Alonso will join Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, and the team’s other hitters as they try to earn their first playoff appearance since their heartbreaking Wild Card loss to the San Francisco Giants in 2016.

Make no mistake: the NL East is loaded with contenders in the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets’ win projections for the 2020 season are also all over the map. While some sites predict the team to finish as high as second in the National League, others have them finishing in the middle of their own division. Personally, I predict that the Mets will do just enough to edge out the competition and earn one of the two wildcard spots.

Even in a one-game opportunity, you know Alonso will be ready when he gets his first taste of postseason baseball.

Three Marcus Stroman predictions for 2020. Next

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New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is coming off a dazzling rookie season. What can we predict from him in year two?

Home Run Derby Champion, Again

Alonso finishes the season in the top three of home runs

A trip to the postseason and a souvenir hit

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