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Pete Alonso was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when he blasted 53 home runs.
He led the majors in runs batted in back in 2022, when he finished eighth in MVP voting.
He was an All-Star in 2023 and ’24.
But throughout a remarkable major league career that sees him closing in on Darryl Strawberry for the franchise’s home run mark, Alonso has never felt better at the plate than right now.
The last time he felt this locked in?
“Maybe junior year of college,” said the proud University of Florida product, who parlayed that enormous junior year — in which he hit .374 with 14 home runs in 58 games — into becoming a second-round pick of the Mets.
His OPS that year: 1.128.
His OPS through 21 games this season: 1.220, which is better than everyone in the major leagues except Aaron Judge.
A resounding few games has turned into a resounding few weeks for Alonso, who is showing no signs of slowing down.
Alonso drove in two-thirds of the Mets’ runs in Saturday’s 3-0 win over the Cardinals at Citi Field, where again he carried the offense.
Francisco Lindor, as special as he is, owns a .683 OPS.
Juan Soto, who is beginning to look better at the plate, has a .787 OPS.
The only other Met in Saturday’s lineup with a mark better than .700 was Luisangel Acuña (.714).
The Mets have desperately needed Alonso, and he has responded.
In the third inning, after Soto’s RBI single cracked into a scoreless game, Alonso crushed an RBI double into left-center.
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The Mets did not score again until Alonso got a chance in the eighth inning, when he demolished his sixth home run of the season into the second deck in left.
“He’s got conviction. He’s got a plan. He’s executing it,” said manager Carlos Mendoza, who has never seen Alonso this hot. “I don’t think we saw this version last year — maybe towards the end and definitely in the playoffs — but I think right now … he’s a dangerous hitter.”
A dangerous hitter early in at-bats, the double coming when Matthew Liberatore tried to sneak a 1-1 changeup by him.
A dangerous hitter deep into at-bats, the homer coming on a sixth-pitch slider to win a battle with John King.
“Mistakes can show up 0-0, 3-0, 0-2 — it doesn’t matter,” Alonso said. “Pitchers can still miss in any count.”
When they do, Alonso is not missing.
Maybe he feels more comfortable in what would be his second walk-year, able to opt out of a two-year deal after this season.
Maybe he is a beneficiary of Soto seeing plenty of pitches before him.
Alonso’s explanation: “I think my mechanics are super clean. I’m able to hold those and carry those from pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat. Having a great game plan, and that’s pretty much it.”
Whatever the cause, the result is a sold-out Citi Field raining down “M-V-Pete” chants.
“Obviously, really flattering,” Alonso said. “It’s a long season.”