Pete Alonso hasn’t spoken much about how Hurricane Helene devastated his city of Tampa, Florida, in September, severely damaging his house with floodwaters.
Alonso and the New York Mets were in Milwaukee getting ready to face the Brewers when it happened. With Alonso’s free agency still a possibility, the team’s immediate goal was to qualify for the playoffs. All of that abruptly gave way to the player, who is referred to as the Polar Bear.
It should come as no surprise that Alonso ultimately re-signed with the Mets. They have been among Major League Baseball’s top teams this season, and Alonso is having an unforgettable season. But Alonso couldn’t expect that. Nobody could.
In an interview at Chase Field on Monday, Alonso stated, “[The hurricane] put a lot into perspective,” as his National League East-leading Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Wednesday and went on to lose two of a three-game series. “We lost our home, like so many others in Tampa, and we had to deal with that the entire postseason and the offseason, so I wasn’t going to say anything about it at the time. So the free agency stuff became secondary.”
After the Mets advanced to the postseason, free agency started after Alonso hit the ninth-inning Wild Card Series-winning homer in Milwaukee a week after the hurricane, sending the team into an NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which they then lost to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a six-game NLCS.
On Monday, Alonso described the experience in full. Three feet of water inundated his residence. He and his wife, Haley, had to move into a rental while they dug into the process of remediation and restoration, which is still ongoing.
Regarding his house, Alonso remarked, “It’s almost back.”
Alonso signed a two-year, $54 million contract on February 12 with an opt-out following this season after a difficult free-agency journey this past winter. However, considering that the Mets currently trail only the Dodgers in victories, it turns out that Alonso’s signing was just as significant to the organization as the signing of Juan Soto in December, who agreed to a 15-year contract worth $765 million.
Alonso remarked, “I knew the free agency stuff was going to take care of itself.” “Did I have the best season the previous year? No. Nevertheless, I had a fantastic season and postseason. The off-season was filled with a lot of personal matters. That’s about it. I was aware that I would be playing baseball. The only question was where. I only needed to wait a little while.
Alonso and his colleagues, who desired his return, were pleased with the outcome.
Francisco Lindor, a shortstop for the Mets, responded, “Definitely, 100%.” “He is among the game’s top power hitters.”
Even though he went 0-for-8 in the final two games of the series, Alonso has already improved from hitting.249 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs the previous season to.328 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in the first 38 games. In the first game, he hit a home run.
That’s a function of Alonso’s own mental process, locking into his swing on a consistent basis, he noted, as much as hitting third in the lineup every day behind Lindor and Soto. According to manager Carlos Mendoza, that duo has already been on base 126 times this season as of Wednesday, giving Alonso plenty of opportunities.
He remarked, “There are always runners on base when you look at his at-bats.” “So, there might be something to that.”
Aaron Judge had plenty of opportunities as he recorded another American League MVP season with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs, all of which were league-high totals, thanks to Soto alone, who was on base 305 times for the Yankees last season.
Soto’s hitting hasn’t exactly taken off with the Mets yet. 29 runs were scored, including the two home runs he hit on Wednesday, while he finished 261 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs. With 128 runs scored for the Yankees last season, he topped the league. He said that instead of Judge striking behind him, Alonso has been hitting more frequently lately. Compared to 127 walks over the whole previous season, he has only walked 29 times.
Without Soto hitting in front of him, Judge is undoubtedly enjoying an even better season so far, hitting.400 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs in 37 games.
According to Soto, he hasn’t fully adapted to his fourth squad overall and third in three years.
In an interview following Wednesday’s game, Sosa stated, “Mendoza has been helping me with that big time.” It’s not simple at all, yet I feel quite at ease. It will always take some time to become used to a team when you join it for the first time.
That has increased the significance of Alonso’s explosive start to the Mets’ success. With 235 home runs, he is very close to the club’s all-time record. He is ahead of David Wright (242) and Darryl Strawberry (252).
Lindor remarked, “[Alonso has] always been focused.” He’s reached a stage in his life when he fully comprehends his physique, his mechanics, and his strike zone control. He can hit any pitch at any moment and not only for home runs if he maintains his patience.
Alonso made it clear last season he wanted to remain with the Mets, but contract talks went nowhere. During free agency, his agent Scott Boras started marketing him, but no one was prepared to pay his multi-year, mega-million dollar demands. Steve Cohen, the owner of the Mets, was angry over the discussions because he could not accommodate Boras’ demands.
Like many of his neighbors, Alonso had to deal with FEMA and insurance companies to save their houses, but Boras kept him informed about developments on the free agent market—or lack thereof, according to Alonso, which made the process relatively simple.
The Toronto Blue Jays made Boras a three-year, $71 million offer at the beginning of February. When the Mets returned with their offer, Alonso left that open. He consented to a $20 million 2025 salary, a $10 million signing bonus, and a $24 million 2026 player option.
He will opt out and earn a lot more money from the Mets or another team if his current season goes on.
According to Alonso, he was thrilled with how everything worked out. The Mets are fighting, his wife is expecting, and his house is being rebuilt. Life is good.
One virtue is patience. Waiting was simple after we practiced it, Alonso remarked. “I’m really satisfied with the deal I got. I get to be with the Mets. I get to be a part of a winning team. I am familiar with the culture here. The men are people I know. This bunch is very unique.
