Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman couldn’t be more different NY Mets fits if they tried

Aside from Kyle Tucker, Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman will be looked at as the 1A and 1B of position players on the market. While Alonso (or a replacement first baseman) is likely the New York Mets' top priority on the offensive side, Bregman would be an upgrade at the hot corner and makes sense as a worthy alternative.

The similarities between them go beyond where they are ranked on free-agent lists. Alonso is said to be seeking a seven-year deal, while Bregman rejected a six-year, $171.5 million deal from the Detroit Tigers last winter because he wanted more. Both players also enter the market off of stronger seasons than they did a year ago, but while they are stars, neither is in the superstar tier, where the impending labor shutdown won't potentially put a damper on their markets.

So while there are a lot of similarities, their actual play on the field and the value of what they bring together couldn't be more different.

Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman present two extremely different fits for the Mets

Before we dive into the differences, let's take a look at one more similarity. The totality of their production last season was nearly identical. The sum of Alonso's contributions added up to 3.6 fWAR, while everything that Bregman brought to the table produced 3.5 fWAR.

While that's a good measure of value, there's more than one way to skin a cat, as the underlying numbers will show.

As Mets fans know, Alonso is your prototypical slugger. He cracked 38 dingers in 2025 with a .524 slugging percentage and a .252 ISO. While his strikeout rate wasn't atrocious, the 22.8% mark he put up is slightly elevated, as is the case with many big boppers.

As you'd expect, the underlying data that drives that type of performance is elite. Alonso's average exit velocity of 93.5 miles per hour ranked in the 97th percentile, his barrel rate of 18.9% was a 98th percentile mark, and his hard hit rate of 54.4% came in the 96th percentile. All of that gave him a .559 xSLG, which was even better than his actual result.

Bregman, on the other hand, doesn't shine in those metrics. His average exit velocity of 90.1 miles per hour and hard hit rate of 44.4% both came in a hair above average, ranking in the 53rd and 54th percentiles, respectively. Those underlying metrics produced a .273/.360/.462 line with 18 homers in 114 games. At that rate, had he played 162 games like Alonso, he would've been on pace for 25.6 homers. His xSLG was just .419, which is a significant dip from his actual result.

However, Bregman posts elite numbers in terms of his whiff, chase, and strikeout rates, ranking in the 95th, 92nd, and 88th percentiles, respectively. Alonso's chase rate was basically average, coming in at the 52nd percentile, but his whiff and strikeout rates were both in the 40th percentile.

So, with the bat, Bregman is the more contact and plate discipline-oriented hitter, while Alonso wins with sheer power. One would give a slight edge to Alonso for the overall value of his offensive production.

However, the advantage flips in the field. Not only is third a more valuable defensive position than first, but Bregman is significantly better at handling his more difficult assignment than Alonso. Bregman posted one defensive run saved, three outs above average, and a fielding run value of 3 in 2025.

Alonso was much worse recording a mark of -9 by both defensive runs saved and outs above average, while posting a fielding run value of -8.

One more note, the difference in defensive performance would've been even more stark had Bregman not missed nearly two months with a strained right quad.

If you're trying to answer the question of which player is a better fit, it's going to come down to what you value. David Stearns has said that run prevention is the offseason's top priority, but an argument can be made that the drop-off in pop from Alonso to Bregman would be substantial enough that he should seek his defensive upgrades elsewhere.

What is sure is that both players bring valuable attributes to the table, and the true "better fit" will depend on the other moves made and how the puzzle ultimately comes together.