Why scout is optimistic Mets' Pete Alonso will soon heat up

It appears not everybody within the MLB community believes New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will stay cold at the plate for much longer amid his contract season. 

"Alonso might be putting too much pressure on himself because he wants a mega-deal," a scout told John Harper of SNY. "But I think he’ll get past that. When he’s not overswinging he’s got a solid approach because he’ll take the ball the other way and he can do it with power." 

Alonso's springtime slump became a significant talking point as the Mets went from 12-8 to 16-18 before they notched back-to-back wins at the St. Louis Cardinals this week. He began Thursday with a .212 batting average and a .742 OPS with nine home runs and 19 RBI across his first 36 games this season. Perhaps more worrisome, Will Sammon of The Athletic pointed out that Alonso has slashed .216/.314/.492 since the start of the 2023 campaign. 

With all of that said, the scout told Harper that Alonso "will benefit from having" veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez hitting behind him in the lineup. Martinez thus far has appeared in just 12 games for the Mets this spring. 

"Martinez is such a routine-oriented guy that he was probably lost without spring training, but he’s starting to look a little more comfortable," the scout said, adding that star shortstop Francisco Lindor "is waiting on the ball better" and is "not jumping at the breaking stuff like he was earlier" this spring. 

Lindor has a .211 average with six homers, 20 RBI and a .670 OPS. 

As SNY's John Flanigan mentioned, the Mets have been without power-hitting catcher Francisco Alvarez since he suffered a torn thumb ligament on April 19. Alvarez will remain out of action until at least early-to-mid June but should eventually help the likes of Alonso, Martinez and Lindor. 

"So I think you’ll see more quality at-bats from those guys in the middle of the lineup, which should translate to much better results as an offense," the scout concluded. 

Just about every time the 18-18 Mets fall beneath .500, new takes emerge about the club possibly trading Alonso before he reaches free agency this fall. If Alonso's struggles at the dish coming off his positive performance on Tuesday continue through May, clubs may start to question if he can handle the added pressure that would come with playing for a new contract while featuring for a contender on a short-term basis.