The New York Mets are having a strong start to the season, and it’s with the help of Pete Alonso and his strong play. There has been a narrative floating around the MLB that first basemen in their 30s start declining, but Alonso is defying the odds and showing that’s not true.
Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras, recently spoke about his client’s play and had to let the masses know that he’s still one of the better first basemen in the league despite the league.
“Stop looking at first basemen 30 or older and believing they’re in their decline,” Boras said via Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “The truth is that they still can be very valuable, and there are only five or six people [first basemen in their 30s] who can do what Pete is doing.
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“These guys are a rarity hitting in the middle of their lineup. I think the greatest metric in sports is M.V.: Managerial Value. When a manager puts you in the middle of the lineup all season, that tells you the value of the player. He gives you the best chance of winning. And Pete is doing that in New York. You’re looking at an elite talent.”
There have already been talks from insiders who think that Alonso will regress at some point this season, but the way he’s playing, it doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon. Alonso is hitting .322 this season with nine home runs, which is tied for 12th in the MLB.
If Alonso continues to play like this, the Mets will have a lot of success this season, and there’s a good chance that they can make a deep postseason. That’s a long time from now, but consistency will be key for the Mets outside of Alonso. They have the team to do so, and it should be no surprise to see what they’re doing early this season.
