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| This could be a familiar sight at Citi Field very soon. (Michael Reeves/Getty Images) |
Pete Alonso has dropped the "r" from his first name. If he plays the way we all think he's capable of, he might soon be dropping several well-known Mets first-year hitters down a spot in the team's rookie record books.
As with most rookies in this era of baseball, Alonso stands a chance to not make the Opening Day roster. Instead, he would be called up by the team shortly after the start of the season to give the Mets an extra year of control before Alonso becomes eligible for free agency. That could hamper his ability to catch some of the Mets' best offensive neophytes in some categories. But then again, Alonso did manage eye-popping totals in just 132 games at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2018.
Which players could Alonso supplant atop the Mets' rookie leaderboard if he continues to mash at the major league level? The names are among the best in franchise history.
Home Runs
Player
|
Year
|
HR
|
Darryl Strawberry
|
1983
|
26
|
Ron Swoboda
|
1965
|
19
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
19
|
John Milner
|
1972
|
17
|
Jay Payton
|
2000
|
17
|
Runs Batted In
Player
|
Year
|
RBI
|
Darryl Strawberry
|
1983
|
74
|
Ty Wigginton
|
2003
|
71
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
71
|
Steve Henderson
|
1977
|
65
|
Jay Payton
|
2000
|
62
|
Runs Scored
Player
|
Year
|
Runs
|
Cleon Jones
|
1966
|
74
|
Ty Wigginton
|
2003
|
73
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
73
|
Gregg Jefferies
|
1989
|
72
|
Steve Henderson
|
1977
|
67
|
Base Hits
Player
|
Year
|
Hits
|
Ty Wigginton
|
2003
|
146
|
Ron Hunt
|
1963
|
145
|
Jay Payton
|
2000
|
142
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
138
|
Cleon Jones
|
1966
|
136
|
Doubles
Player
|
Year
|
Doubles
|
Ty Wigginton
|
2003
|
36
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
33
|
Kaz Matsui
|
2004
|
32
|
Justin Turner
|
2011
|
30
|
Ron Hunt
|
1963
|
28
|
Gregg Jefferies
|
1989
|
28
|
On-Base Percentage (Min. 350 PA)
Player
|
Year
|
OBP
|
Jason Phillips
|
2003
|
.373
|
Steve Henderson
|
1977
|
.372
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
.351
|
Hubie Brooks
|
1981
|
.345
|
Kevin Mitchell
|
1986
|
.344
|
Slugging Percentage (Min. 350 PA)
Player
|
Year
|
SLG
|
Darryl Strawberry
|
1983
|
.512
|
Steve Henderson
|
1977
|
.480
|
Kevin Mitchell
|
1986
|
.466
|
Jay Payton
|
2000
|
.447
|
Jason Phillips
|
2003
|
.442
|
On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage (Min. 350 PA)
Player
|
Year
|
OPS
|
Steve Henderson
|
1977
|
.852
|
Darryl Strawberry
|
1983
|
.848
|
Jason Phillips
|
2003
|
.815
|
Kevin Mitchell
|
1986
|
.811
|
Ike Davis
|
2010
|
.791
|
Offensive Wins Above Replacement (Min. 350 PA)
Player
|
Year
|
oWAR
|
Ron Hunt
|
1963
|
3.9
|
Darryl Strawberry
|
1983
|
2.8
|
Steve Henderson
|
1977
|
2.6
|
Gregg Jefferies
|
1989
|
2.4
|
John Milner
|
1972
|
2.2
|
Hubie Brooks
|
1981
|
2.2
|
Pete Alonso finished the 2018 campaign with 36 home runs and 119 RBI, scoring 92 runs in 132 games. He also produced 31 doubles out of his 136 hits, while reaching base at a .395 clip, slugging .579 and putting up a .975 OPS. Looking above at the numbers produced by the Mets' top hitting rookies in club history, Alonso has the potential to be the best neophyte of them all.
One other thing about Mets rookies. The six guys listed above on the oWAR chart all placed in the top three in the National League Rookie of the Year vote, with Milner, Brooks and Jefferies finishing third in their respective rookie campaigns. Meanwhile, Hunt and Henderson were runners-up to baseball's all-time hits leader (Pete Rose) and a five-tool Hall of Famer (Andre Dawson), respectively. And then there's Strawberry, who won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1983.
To this day, the Straw Man is the only everyday player to win the coveted award, as the other four Mets to take home the prize were all pitchers (Tom Seaver, Jon Matlack, Dwight Gooden, Jacob deGrom). That means Alonso could join a very exclusive club if he approaches the numbers he put up in the minors last year. Even without reaching those lofty figures, Alonso still has an excellent opportunity to become one of the best first-year hitters in club annals.
All he needs is a chance and his bat. With those two things, the Mets rookie record books could soon be adding a new name.
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