Pete Alonso lastly stated the quiet half out loud.
Tuesday evening after hitting two dwelling runs to set the Mets’ all-time document, the homegrown first baseman expressed a need to stay a Met for all times. With 254 profession dwelling runs, Alonso will seemingly keep the title of the Mets’ dwelling run king till he leaves Queens. That exit may doubtlessly come this winter, as he faces the potential of changing into a free agent for the second time in as a few years.
Proprietor Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns can stop that by locking him up with a long-term extension.
“I have a goal to play baseball until I’m through my age 40 season, and for me, I’m going to work hard and do that,” Alonso stated Tuesday evening at Citi Subject after the Mets crushed the Atlanta Braves, 13-5. “The business side — Steve and David, they’ve got to come through.”
Alonso, 30, sought a multi-year contract final winter, however one by no means materialized. He got here to phrases with the Mets on a two-year, $45 million contract that pays him $30 million this season, and has a participant possibility for 2026 that may pay him $24 million. Nonetheless, with the season he’s having, he’ll nearly assuredly decide out to strive for extra money and extra years of time period this winter. No agent would permit Alonso to accept lower than what he’s price, particularly not a pro-labor super-agent like Scott Boras.
For years, Alonso’s coaches and teammates have been saying he desires to stick with the staff that drafted him. Alonso himself at all times stated he wish to keep, however he was by no means fairly as emphatic or direct as he was Tuesday evening. Passing a franchise icon like Darryl Strawberry may embolden even a lesser participant, however Alonso has earned the suitable to be candid, having helped the Mets put butts within the seats since his rookie season in 2019.
A second-round draft pick of the College of Florida in 2016, Alonso has turn into a five-time All-Star who usually hits large dwelling runs in large moments. He’s able to dealing with the cruel criticism that comes with enjoying within the Northeast, and has helped take the harshness of the highlight off of his teammates at instances when it burned too scorching for them to deal with.
Even Tuesday evening, he tried to take the eye off of himself and put it on the staff.
“It’s really not going to settle in because right now, we’re in the thick of a playoff race,” Alonso stated. “I don’t really want to make this about myself because this is about the team, this is about guys fighting every single day and doing whatever they can to win. I’m just trying to do my part.”
Alonso and his spouse, Haley, have given again to the Queens group by way of the Alonso Basis. They’ve been sturdy stewards of the group, bringing consciousness to these affected by 9/11 and partnering with animal shelters all through the world. They navigated the tumult of the membership by way of scandals, controversies, hirings, firings and possession modifications with out ever publicly expressing any unfavourable sentiments.
Alonso hit extra dwelling runs than some other rookie in baseball historical past in 2019 en path to profitable NL Rookie of the Yr. Popping out of the pandemic, he helped generate pleasure for a brand new proprietor, Cohen. He drove in 131 runs in 2022 to assist the Mets snap their five-year postseason drought.
Final fall, he hit probably the most essential dwelling runs in franchise historical past on the street towards the Milwaukee Brewers. A ninth-inning dwelling run in Recreation 3 of the Wild Card collection despatched the Mets to the Division Collection for the primary time since 2015.
“I love the city in New York, I love this fanbase. It’s been great,” Alonso stated. “But again, the business is the business side, if they choose to go in another direction. But for me, it’s been an absolute treat and pleasure here. I mean, this group is really special.”
The one factor he hasn’t been capable of do in a Mets uniform is win a World Collection. Strawberry, nonetheless, did, however then he left for his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers. Dwight “Doc” Gooden, the ace of the 1986 World Collection staff, additionally left the Mets, going throughout city to the Yankees. Their departures gutted the followers.
Alonso wanting to remain to assist the Mets win a title won’t make up for 30-something years of heartbreak, nevertheless it actually would assist a brand new era of Mets followers begin to consider once more. Ya gotta consider, proper?
“There’s only one organization that you’re drafted by, there’s only one organization that you come up with and you set these marks with,” stated Brandon Nimmo, a homegrown outfielder who signed an eight-year contract after the 2022 season to have the ability to end his profession with the Mets. “To have to restart is not something everyone wants to do.”
Few gamers imply as a lot to their golf equipment and fanbases as Alonso does to the Mets. The sensation is mutual.
All that’s left is a mutual settlement on a contract.
Initially Printed: August 12, 2025 at 11:55 PM EDT
