Maybe it’s too easy to say that Pete Alonso was born to play for the New York Mets, the team that plays in the borough of Queens, where Pete’s grandfather settled as a teenager in the 1930s after fleeing the Spanish Civil War from his native Barcelona and where Pete’s father was born.
Maybe it’s too ambitious to suggest that, just 23 games into his major league career, the rookie first baseman with the prodigious power stroke will be a star, not just because of his production in numbers but in his ability to engage the fans with his energy and enthusiasm.nike nfl jerseys cheap paypal
Just a few weeks ago, Alonso was simply battling in spring training to make the Opening Day roster, a top prospect after leading the minor leagues in home runs and RBIs in 2018, but not a lock to make the team, especially given how teams often hold players back in the minors to save on service time. But Alonso raked in spring training and now he has become one of the biggest stories of the first month of the season, hitting .325 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs. Maybe it’s just a wonderful flash in time. Maybe it’s the beginning of something big.
“It’s all happening quickly, but I’m definitely taking the time to take a couple steps back and kind of enjoy everything,” Alonso said before Tuesday’s game at Citi Field. “It’s a dream to be here, but I’m also enjoying my time here.”
“You see the energy, you see his focus, you see his ability to take pitches the right way. This guy brings a lot to the table — he’s calling you at night to try to get in the lineup,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.
He was referring to the call this past Saturday when Alonso, who had been hit by a pitch in the game earlier that day, told him he wanted to be in the lineup Sunday against Dakota Hudson, a pitcher Alonso had faced in college. Alonso did play Sunday … and hit a home run off Hudson.cheap nfl nike jerseys china
“He’s here to win. Every single day. And he brings energy like every moment out there on the field,” Callaway said. “He’s been tremendous so far. It’s fun getting to learn who is and what he’s all about.”
Alonso’s setup in the batter’s box is a little unusual. He holds his hands low, the bat bouncing listlessly off his back right shoulder like an umbrella waiting for a rainstorm. He does this thing where he takes kind of a checked swing, snapping his hands downward to help create muscle memory. When he does initiate his swing, he rocks gently back and the hands raise up slightly and whip through the zone to unleash some of the best raw power in the game.