Pete Alonso responded to the recent NY Mets scouting trip in the best way

The New York Mets had their eyes halfway across the world on Tuesday, but Pete Alonso made sure they swung back to Queens by nightfall. Hours after news broke that team president David Stearns was in Japan watching slugging sensation Munetaka Murakami, Alonso answered in his own booming language, sending baseballs over the wall with all the subtlety of a note reading, “Still the best first baseman in your orbit.”

If Murakami was drawing oohs in Tokyo, Alonso was matching them with aahs in Flushing. Every swing felt like a deliberate rebuttal, the Polar Bear’s way of holding his turf. Maybe he didn’t need an overseas scouting trip to get fired up, but the timing was suspiciously perfect. Before the Mets could drift too far into 2026 hypotheticals, Alonso reminded them he can still make a ballpark feel like an international stage.

Mets slugger Pete Alonso is answering David Stearns’ Japan trip with some big swings.

Stearns was in Japan this week, watching Murakami as the Tokyo Yakult Swallows prepare to post him for the 2026 MLB season. Murakami has already announced that 2025 will be his final year in Japan, and his six-year stretch from 2019 through 2024 makes the buzz understandable: he averaged 37 home runs and 99 RBIs per season, highlighted by 2022 when he hit 56 home runs with 134 RBIs and a .318 batting average. An oblique injury slowed his 2025 campaign, but he returned in late July, keeping scouts glued to his potential power.

While the Mets’ front office was scanning Tokyo, Pete Alonso was making sure first base in Queens stayed firmly in his spotlight. Tuesday night against the Braves, he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs scored, and two home runs — the first of which vaulted him past Darryl Strawberry to become the Mets’ all-time homer leader, the second pushing his career total to 254. On Wednesday, he stayed locked in, going 3-for-4 and delivering a two-run single to get the Mets on the board early.

With Murakami set to arrive in MLB in 2026, the next chapter at first base is starting to take shape. Alonso continues to swing with precision and power, showing that he can still dominate at the plate while a potential superstar builds anticipation overseas. Every at-bat right now adds to the storyline, keeping both Mets fans and scouts watching closely as the competition for attention begins to brew.

As Murakami’s posting looms, the Mets’ lineup is set for an intriguing season of anticipation. Meanwhile, Alonso keeps the spotlight burning in Queens, turning milestones into statements and reminding everyone that while new talent waits overseas, the here and now continues to deliver drama, history, and unforgettable moments for fans tracking every pitch and RBI.