Pete Alonso is very good at hitting the baseball.

I know you come here for educated and detailed fantasy baseball analysis, and that is far from it. For that, I do apologize but sometimes stating the obvious has value.

We are not even two weeks into the 2022 baseball season and I already have remorse at not having more shares of the Mets’ first baseman. For that, I truly have no one to blame but myself.

This is not the time or place to go into a rant about why auctions are better than drafts (spoiler alerts they are), but that is the culprit here. In the first five rounds of a snake draft, there is simply too much too much of an emphasis on securing stolen bases, saves, and at least one starting pitcher that you left scrambling if you draft someone like Alonso that fails to check any of those boxes.

However, is this going to be the season that Alonso becomes one of those players who is simply too good to be ignored?

Through 10 games, 45 plate appearances, Alonso is hitting .231 but that is no cause for alarm based on the small sample size and his .207 BABIP. It is also a good sign, I do recognize how in different generations the complete opposite could be said here, that Alonso’s strikeout rate is just 20%.

 


We all know that is not the true focus here. Alonso has gotten off to a powerful start with three home runs and 14 RBI and seven runs scored and that is what we are after. There is no doubting the legitimacy of his power, but with a .308 ISO this season and .287 for his career, Alonso’s power is real.

To this point, entering action on Tuesday, Alonso has had 32 batted ball events, and that Statcast data really generates some optimism. Alonso is currently surging his career marks in all areas, and even if there is some regression, the first baseman is still in very good shape.

  • Exit Velocity: 2022 – 91.5 miles per hour; Career – 90.8 miles per hour
  • Launch Angle: 2022 – 22.6 degrees; Career – 15.1 degrees
  • Barrel Rate: 2022- 21.9%; Career – 14.7%
  • Hard Hit Rate: 2022 – 50%; Career – 44.3%

Alonso is healthy, locked in and he bats in premium position between Francisco Lindor who is looking much better in his second season in New York and Eduardo Escobar who is a proven run producer. Starling Marte has wasted no time looking comfortable batting second for the Mets and either Brandon Nimmo or Jeff McNeill has shown the ability to get on base this season, so Alonso will continue to see pitches to hit while being in prime RBI territory.

At this point in his career, Alonso doesn’t want to be pigeon holed or labeled as an offensive only threat or strictly a Designated Hitter. In fairness to Alonso, he works very hard on all aspects of his game, and while defense doesn’t count from a fantasy perspective, we should care from the perspective of playing time and how it impacts him at the plate. 

 


The intention here is for Alonso to play in as many games as possible and that works both for the Mets and fantasy managers. Part of that is keeping Alonso fresh and healthy so his bat can remain in the lineup, and he has gotten the day off from fielding on three occasions so far this year. While Alonso has made it known that he wants to be a complete player and play the field, all three of his home runs have come while he was strictly a DH. 

There are clear benefits to this as it allows Alonso to stay healthy and it keeps his bat in the lineup on a pretty regular basis. Even more importantly is that fact that Alonso seems to have embraced the role even if it’s not his first preference. 

The season is barely two weeks old, but Alonso seems squarely on pace for a 40-home run and 100 RBI season, and that is at a minimum. Ultimately, Alonso will prove to be one of the most impactful power bats around.

 

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