NY Mets star Pete Alonso faces a familiar foe as an NL Silver Slugger finalist

Back in 2019, New York Mets Pete Alonso had the most epic rookie season in MLB history. Smashing 53 home runs on his way to winning the NL Rookie of the Year, where he fell short was winning the Silver Slugger. In fact, the award has eluded Alonso throughout his career. This year, he's one of three Mets finalists for the Silver Slugger.

A prominent slugger, playing first base has always given Alonso tougher opponents. The 2019 season was his lone year actually leading the league in home runs. This past year, with 38, he fell well shy of the 56 hit by Kyle Schwarber.

Alonso had one of his better all-around years at the plate, posting a career-runner-up .871 OPS. Two points behind at .869 is the same man who took the Silver Slugger from him in 2019, and arguably one of his biggest foes, Freddie Freeman. Once again, Freeman is right there alongside Alonso as a Silver Slugger finalist.

Can Pete Alonso finally capture a Silver Slugger with the Mets?

Alonso’s 38 home runs led all first basemen this past year. The .524 slugging percentage and .871 OPS were also tops with Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz failing to have enough at-bats to qualify. It was an exceptional year at the plate for Alonso who had the most throwback style of season for a first baseman. His 126 RBI led all players at the position, overtaking Freeman by 36.

In the sense of the word slugger, no first baseman did it better than Alonso. 

Back in 2019, Alonso topped Freeman in several areas. His .941 OPS was barely ahead of the .938 posted by Freeman, then a member of the Atlanta Braves. He trailed in RBI by one, with 120 to Freeman’s 121. It felt a lot tighter then. This year, maybe not so much.

Joining these two as finalists is Matt Olson. The man the Braves replaced Freeman with at first base won the award in 2023. With 29 home runs and 95 RBI, his slugging statisticals pale in comparison to what Alonso put up.

From Louisville Slugger, here’s how the voting occurs:

"A vote of MLB managers and coaches decides the Silver Slugger Award winners. They cast ballots for the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in their respective league. Each team receives four votes: the manager and three coaches of their choice. Votes are based on a combination of offensive statistics including OBP, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBI and batting average as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. The accounting firm of Deming, Malone, Livesay & Ostroff verifies the tabulation of ballots."

Is this Alonso’s year? If it is, you better believe Scott Boras has a pun loaded up on the right side of his mouth. Something about a Polar Bear mining for silver in the arctic? Let's leave the dad jokes to the pro.