Mets superstar Pete Alonso gets bold prediction ahead of free agency

The New York Mets' best player this season hasn't been $765 million man Juan Soto, nor Most Valuable Player runner-up Francisco Lindor.

After striking out in free agency, the Mets brought first baseman Pete Alonso back on a so-called "pillow contract," a two-year, $54 million deal that allows him to test free agency again this winter if he has a strong season.

He'll be testing it. Because he's not just improving on his so-so numbers from last season. He's on pace for the best year of his fantastic career, and he could be forcing the Mets to give him a much fatter check to convince him to stay.

Aided by having Lindor and Soto in front of him in the lineup, Alonso is going gangbusters. He leads the majors with 34 RBI, and his 210 OPS+ is the best in the National League, second behind only Aaron Judge for the best in baseball.

In a piece of "bold predictions" published on MLB.com, Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman predicted that Alonso would win the NL triple crown, which hasn't been done in either league since Miguel Cabrera in 2012, and in the NL since Joe Medwick in 1937.

"So far, Alonso has done more than just reestablish his offensive credentials after what might’ve been his worst season in 2024 — he looks better than ever. This is most evident in his sky-high batting average (.328!), which is the key ingredient of this bold prediction," Shusterman wrote.

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"The notion that Alonso could lead the league in home runs and/or RBIs is hardly an ambitious proclamation and seems highly plausible at this point. But entering this season, it would’ve been far-fetched to expect a career .249 hitter to compete for a batting title in tandem with his usual power production. Yet here we are!"

The 30-year-old Alonso clearly had something to prove this year. He didn't get the deal he wanted because there were worries about how a player of his profile (right-handed hitting, first base only) would age. 

But who cares about the aging curve when the current player is one of the very best in the sport? Alonso has never finished higher than seventh in Most Valuable Player voting, and he might be pacing for a top-three finish.

It will be fascinating to see if he keeps this up, then doubly fascinating to see how free agency plays out.

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