Ranking the 5 best Pete Alonso replacements for the NY Mets at first base

Pete Alonso is a fan favorite and has been a vital part of the New York Mets lineup for years. These facts aren't in dispute. With all of that said, he's once again reaching for the stars with a seven-year contract demand, but this time around, the Mets' alternatives are more robust.

Not only that, but given David Stearns' mandate to improve the club's run prevention capabilities, it's not a given that Alonso truly fits the vision moving forward. Sure, if they can retain him on their terms, they'd likely do it, but are they going to wait around all winter for him to come to the realization that the mega deal isn't coming for him? Probably not.

So, whether it's another team valuing Alonso more than the Mets, or Stearns deciding a different direction better fits the path he's laid out for the club, a pivot away from Pete is likely. Fortunately, the options are plentiful, but they're not all the same. Here are the top five.

Five best Mets' replacements for Pete Alonso at first base

5. Eugenio Suarez

A third baseman by trade, there's some chatter that the 34-year-old Eugenio Suarez could slide over to the cold corner as he enters his baseball golden years. Suarez doesn't necessarily fit the athletic defender vision that Stearns has, but he's been a better third baseman than Alonso has been a first baseman. In fact, in 2024, he was actually rated above-average defensively with three outs above average, though defensive runs saved pegged him with a below-average performance at -4.

Regardless, most players don't experience a defensive renaissance in their mid-30s. It's not impossible that he'd be marginally better than Alonso with the glove, though. The real reason he makes the list is that he's the best alternative to Pete in the power department.

Despite his second-half swoon in Seattle, he still crushed 49 homers. Don't read too much into that post-trade deadline dip, either. T-Mobile Park is a tough place for a lot of power hitters, and Suarez struggled there at points in his first Pacific Northwest tenure, only to rebound in the Arizona desert. Lastly, he turned it on in the playoffs, which should further erase concerns.

4. Ryan O'Hearn

In a field of stars, the lefty-swinging Ryan O'Hearn might get overlooked, but he shouldn't. After being DFA'd and subsequently traded by the Kansas City Royals, O'Hearn found his groove in Baltimore and then helped the San Diego Padres make their playoff push down the 2025 stretch.

O'Hearn isn't going to blow you away with the power numbers, but he's an above-contact hitter who posted a 10.7% walk rate in 2025, who could bring some much-needed balance to a Mets lineup that at times became so fixated on swinging for the fences that it worked to their detriment. Don't get it wrong, though; he's got some pop as well, recording a career-high 17 homers in 2025.

Defensively, O'Hearn is an above-average first baseman. He posted 4 DRS and 6 OAA in 541.1 innings at first base this year, and he also doubles as a passable, though below-average, corner outfielder, which gives him an added dimension the Mets could use if they find themselves in an injury bind.

As an added bonus, he's probably the cheapest option on this list.

3. Josh Naylor

Next to Alonso, Josh Naylor is the best overall option at first on the market. Some teams might even disagree and rank him ahead of the Polar Bear on their shortlists. Traded at the deadline alongside Suarez to the Seattle Mariners, the AL West power has already said that retaining him is their top offseason priority.

Naylor's appeal is easy to see. He's one of the few players in the bigs who can claim a season with a .300+ batting average (he hit .308 in 2023) and a 30+ homer season (31 in 2024), showing how complete he is at the plate. In 2025, he added another nifty trick to his repertoire, swiping 30 bases, which seems unbelievable when you look at him.

Defensively, Naylor is just average, and maybe a hair below, and at 28 years old and coming off a .295/.353/.462 20-homer campaign, he's looking at a big money, long-term deal.

2. Cody Bellinger

One of the most popular fits for the Mets as a center fielder, Cody Bellinger fits many different fingers for the club like a glove. Not only is he an above-average defender at all three outfield spots, but he also can play a mean first base. Athleticism is the name of Bellinger's game, and if Stearns is serious about getting more athletic and improving defensively, he's worth a long, hard look at either center or first.

Then there's what Bellinger can add to the Mets lineup. Since his early days with the Dodgers, Bellinger has transformed into one of the least strikeout-prone hitters in the league who still has pop, striking out just 13.7% of the time in 2025 while belting 2025.

Another neat advantage he brings is his ability to handle same-handed pitchers. In 2025, he hit an eye-popping .353 against southpaws, which is a skill that can come in handy down the stretch and in October against opposing bullpens in the late innings.

Simply put, regardless of the position he winds up at, he should be a priority for the Mets.

1. Kazuma Okamoto

While he's the greatest unknown on the list, Kazuma Okamoto's potential and track record in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball put him at the top of this list.

If the concern is the loss of power in losing Alonso, Okamoto can alleviate that. The 29-year-old was essentially a guarantee to hit 30+ homers every year he played in Japan, and with an 84% contact rate against fastballs over 94 miles per hour, it seems incredibly likely that his power translates once he arrives stateside.

Not only that, but Okamoto is a solid contact hitter, not just a swing-for-the-fence slugger, and has posted stellar walk rates and strikeout rates in the NPB, including identical 11.3% marks in both metrics during his injury-shortened 2025 campaign.

Like Bellinger, Okamoto comes with some versatility, playing at least decent defense at both first and third, as well as having some experience roaming left field.

There's always some risk bringing over a Japanese star, but the reward with Okamoto is too high for the Mets to ignore.