Pete Alonso Could Rewrite the Mets Rookie Record Book

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.