Pete Alonso’s return has solidified the New York Mets‘ lineup, but according to one ex-MLB player, the first baseman hasn’t necessarily turned them into a World Series contender.
Former catcher Erik Kratz, who spent time with the New York Yankees in his career, doesn’t see the Mets as a favorite in their division, let alone in baseball.
“I would say they’re still third in the NL East,” Kratz said Wednesday night on Foul Territory. “I know (host Scott Braun) didn’t ask it, and maybe I’m going out of line here, but I still think they’re third. There’s too many, ‘This could be good. This could be nice.’ Where you look at the Braves and the Phillies and you’re like, ‘Pen it in. Pen it in. Best rotation … I still think they’re third. Am I off on that?”
Fangraphs’ 2025 season projections consider the Mets as one of the best in baseball, even though they aren’t expected to finish first in the division. It has the Mets finishing with an 87-75 record, two games worse than last season — behind the Atlanta Braves (93-69) tied with the Philadelphia Phillies (87-75) in the NL East.
After weeks of negotiating, the Mets struck a deal with Alonso worth $54 million over two years ($27 million AAV), SNY’s Andy Martino first reported. The contract includes a $10 million signing bonus, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman added. The first year of the contract is worth $30 million and includes a player option in Year 2 worth $24 million, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported.
Alonso has already proven he can handle playing under the bright lights of New York City. In his six seasons in Queens, Alonso has a .249/.339/.514 with 226 home runs, the second-most home runs in ML, and 586 RBIs. Alonso is beloved by his teammates and fans at Citi Field.
“I actually think their roster is built better for the postseason, which was the case last year,” Braun said. “It’s not as complete. There’s question marks with the starting rotation. They actually have a much better farm system; it keeps improving … I mean (it’s) the kind of team that I actually think shouldn’t be done.”
Here’s what the Mets’ lineup could look like next season:
- Francisco Lindor, SS (S)
- Juan Soto, RF (L)
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Brandon Nimmo, LF (L)
- Mark Vientos, 3B
- Starling Marte or Jesse Winker, DH
- Jeff McNeil, 2B (L)
- Tyrone Taylor or Jose Siri, CF
- Francisco Alvarez, C
NJ Advance Media’s Manny Gómez contributed to this report
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