NY Mets coaching hire feels like a step toward replacing Pete Alonso for another star

The New York Mets have added a respected new voice to their dugout: Troy Snitker, a hitting coach with a proven track record for refining swings in Houston. Though at first glance a practical move, his hire quietly signals bigger possibilities for the team’s approach, especially regarding who they target for their corner infield spots.

Snitker’s experience includes working closely with top-tier infield talent, giving the Mets insight into players now on the open market. While this hire doesn’t confirm a single move, it frames a subtle narrative: the third base situation in Queens is far from settled, and Pete Alonso’s role could face unexpected reconsideration if the team chooses to pursue one of the league’s top free agents.

Mets hire Troy Snitker, hinting at a path toward Alex Bregman over Pete Alonso

The Mets are heading into 2026 with the same corner infield questions that haunted them last year, with familiar names like Alonso and Bregman once again floating as potential answers. Bregman, who hit .273/.360/.821 with 18 homers, 62 RBIs, and a 128 OPS+ in 2025, offers a different profile from Alonso. While Alonso provides elite power and hard-hit numbers, Bregman thrives in contact, working the count, and forcing pitchers into mistakes—he ranks in the top 15% in chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and squared-up percentage.

Snitker’s hire adds a subtle but meaningful layer to this calculus. As Houston’s hitting coach, he helped Bregman recalibrate his swing during slumps and power surges. In 2022, after Bregman’s OPS dipped below .700 midseason, adjustments under Snitker fueled a second-half surge to a .864 OPS. Two years later, a similar tune-up helped Bregman hit 26 homers, the most since 2019. The Amazins bringing in someone with that track record sends a quiet signal: they now have in-house experience unlocking Bregman’s ceiling.

The defensive angle may be even more compelling. Alonso, though a cornerstone bat, finished 2025 with a -9 OAA and a clear decline in the field. Bregman, despite a down year, still posted a +3 OAA and provides upside at the hot corner.

Combine that with David Stearns’ offseason emphasis on run prevention, and the logic becomes clear: Bregman’s contact approach, pitch manipulation, and defensive edge make him an intriguing alternative. Snitker’s presence could be the nudge that positions the Mets to pursue that path, leaving Alonso’s long-term role in Queens in genuine question.

Snitker’s hire feels like a deliberate nudge toward a different corner infield, one where Alex Bregman’s bat and glove could fit. For Pete Alonso, it’s a reminder that even franchise icons aren’t untouchable. Queens is watching quietly, but the direction the Mets are leaning is impossible to ignore.