Pete Alonso

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #2 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Alonso led the minors with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs in a 2018 season split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, but his signature moments stand out more than raw totals. At the Futures Game he clobbered a homer that sailed over the left-field foul pole at 113.6 mph, an uncharted exit velocity for a ball hit so high. Then in the Arizona Fall League he turned around a 103 mph fastball from Blue Jays prospect Nate Pearson for a homer to center field. No major leaguer has homered on a pitch that fast in four years of Statcast data.
  
  Scouting Report: Alonso is a polarizing prospect for scouts because his strengths and weaknesses are so pronounced. He makes the ball disappear in a hurry when he catches it with 70-grade raw power and elite exit velocities. Alonso's disciplined plate approach helps him draw walks and wait for pitches to slug, but more advanced pitchers have had success inducing him to expand his zone against breaking pitches. Despite being a bottom-of-the-scale runner, he should hit for a decent average because he hits the ball so hard. Defense is Alonso's bugaboo and has become his developmental focal point. Hard hands and limited mobility at first base turn some routine plays into adventures, but he scoops throws from infielders well. He must keep working to become even adequate defensively.
  
  The Future: Alonso is an American League player in a National League organization. Alonso's bat should create significantly more runs than his glove allows, and he will be big league ready early in 2019.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #4 prospect in 2018
  Alonso's incredible righthanded power translated from Florida to pro ball. He launched a 421-foot home run to center field at the 2015 College World Series, and the blast still stands as the longest at Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park. In 2017 he walloped a Florida State League-leading 16 home runs at high Class A St. Lucie at the time the Mets promoted him to Double-A--despite missing six weeks with a broken hand. Alonso generates by far the highest exit velocity and has the most power in the Mets system. He looks for pitches to elevate with his plus-plus raw power, and the ball carries to all fields when he connects. In addition to plus game power, Alonso has a chance for an average hit tool because he hits the ball hard with frequency and doesn't swing and miss as much as many sluggers. A well below-average runner and uncoordinated, slow-bodied defender, he committed 19 errors at first base in 2017, the majority of them fielding miscues and dropped catches. He requires a lot of work to be playable in the field. Alonso has crushed lefthanders as a pro, compiling a 1.166 OPS, but he has hit a more modest .256/.316/.456 against same-side pitchers. Regardless, his power will play in the big leagues, perhaps in the second half of 2018, whether as a regular or a platoon masher.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #13 prospect in 2017
  Power is Alonso's carrying tool, and he has the best in the Mets system after signing for $909,200 as a 2016 second-round pick. He showed premium power at Florida, particularly at the 2015 and 2016 College World Series, where he smashed three home runs at cavernous TD Ameritrade Park, including the two longest bombs in the six-year history of the venue. He continued to rake at short-season Brooklyn by slugging .587 to rank second among New York-Penn League batters with at least 100 plate appearances. With wide hips and a physical 6-foot-3 frame, Alonso uses his legs well to generate double-plus raw power to all fields and he can demolish mistakes, particularly on pitches low in the zone. He studies pitchers and controls the strike zone, but tends to leak out on his front side and might hit no better than .260 at higher levels. Though he is a poor runner, Alonso takes pride in his defense at first base, where he grades as solid-average thanks to his agility and soft hands that allow him to scoop throws in the dirt. He missed most of August at Brooklyn after he broke the pinky finger on his left hand while sliding into second base, though he was back at full strength for instructional league. Evaluators who like Alonso compare him with Mike Napoli or Evan Gattis as a middle-of-the-order, righthanded power source. He will likely open at high Class A St. Lucie in 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #139 prospect in 2016 draft
  Injuries have dogged Alonso the last two seasons--he missed 30 games in 2015 with a broken foot and later broke his nose, and in May 2016 he missed time with a broken left hand. He nevertheless has been the Gators' most consistent power bat in that span and was leading the '16 Gators in batting and homers when he got hurt. Alonso didn't show much power in the Cape Cod League last summer with Bourne after hitting 18 the previous summer during an MVP turn in the Northwoods League. Alonso has plus raw power, hitting the first-ever home run to center field at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha during the 2015 College World Series. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Alonso does it with strength rather than bat speed and is a poor runner who likely will be limited to first base, but his righthanded power is his carrying tool.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #14 prospect in 2018
  Alonso hit 21 of his minor league-leading 36 home runs with Las Vegas, including a dramatic walkoff two-run homer on the final day of the season in the last baseball game ever at Cashman Field. The burly masher posted eye-popping exit velocities along the way and made a memorable impression on opposing managers, with many claiming he hit the farthest home run of the season off their teams. “He hit a ball out of here at like 120 miles an hour,” Fresno manager Rodney Linares said. “Big power. He took pitches against some tough pitchers during our series and he got us a couple times, hit one of the longest balls against us all year.” Alonso’s big power came with many caveats, however. He got exposed against breaking balls, swinging and missing by two feet at times, and his subpar bat speed and bat path led observers to question whether he’ll hit major league pitching. Alonso’s defense was also exceedingly poor, with one manager labeling even pickoff throws “a gamble” with him at first base. Alonso’s power is carrying tool and gives him middle-of-the-order potential, but his shortcomings have some worried he’s a AAAA slugger.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Fall League #12 prospect in 2018
  Alonso likely made more social media highlight reels than any other AFL player this season, with his massive home runs and extreme exit velocities taking center stage. Tying for the league lead with six home runs—plus one more long ball in the Fall Stars Game off a Nate Pearson 100-plus mph fastball—Alonso put up decent overall numbers with a .255/.339/.510 slash line. He is not real athletic but is plenty strong, with one observer stating that Alonso has a "blacksmith’s body.”

  While not hitting for a high average in the fall and showing troubles with outside pitches and solid breaking balls, Alonso still has feel to hit and manipulates the barrel well. He’s not just a dead-pull hitter, with a couple of his home runs going to right field or right-center field. Alonso is not a great defender, but scouts noted that it can be playable with plenty of hard work.

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #8 prospect in 2018
  Even as the second-most famous Florida alum on the Binghamton roster behind Tim Tebow, Alonso cemented his reputation as one of the game’s premier power hitters. He tied for the minor league lead with 36 homers and led the minors with 119 RBIs, doing his early damage in the EL before a promotion to Triple-A. Alonso’s approach at Double-A was hailed by opposing managers as highly advanced. One noted Alonso appeared to bait pitchers into throwing first-pitch cookies by showing early-count passivity early in games. His raw power grades as plus-plus, and he had no problem getting to that power production in games. Alonso is still a work in progress at first base. The Mets acknowledge Alonso won’t ever be mistaken for Keith Hernandez, and he still has to put in work to be just adequate. He scoops throws from infielders well but struggles with routine grounders and popups. Regardless of defense, power is Alonso’s calling card, and should carry him to the majors.
• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #8 prospect in 2016
  In his college career with Florida, Alonso hit an impressive three home runs at the homer-stifling T.D. Ameritrade Park in Omaha, including the two longest in the six-year-old ballpark's history, with one being the first-ever homer hit to dead center. His power has long been his standout tool, with one scout who saw him grading his power a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. However, scouts place lower grades on Alonso's hit tool. His power comes more from strength than bat speed, and he tends to leak out on his front side, which could be exposed by upper-level pitching. He will need to hit because he is limited to first base, where he is a capable defender. Injuries have been a bugaboo for Alonso. He dealt with a broken foot and nose in 2015 and a broken left hand in spring 2016. This summer at Brooklyn, he broke the little finger on his left hand in two places as he slid into second base on a hustle double. If he can stay healthy and make enough contact, Alonso has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order power bat at the next level. "I haven't managed anybody with his type of power and impact ability on a team since I've had Mike Napoli back in Double-A ball with the Angels," Brooklyn manager Tom Gamboa said. "It's that rare type of power, like Napoli had, that is pole to pole and not just over-the-fence but literally out-of-the-stadium-type power."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #48 prospect in 2019

• August, 2018 Scouting Report
  Alonso likely made more social media highlight reels than any other AFL player this season, with his massive home runs and extreme exit velocities taking center stage. Tying for the league lead with six home runs—plus one more long ball in the Fall Stars Game off a Nate Pearson 100-plus mph fastball—Alonso put up decent overall numbers with a .255/.339/.510 slash line. He is not real athletic but is plenty strong, with one observer stating that Alonso has a "blacksmith’s body.”

  While not hitting for a high average in the fall and showing troubles with outside pitches and solid breaking balls, Alonso still has feel to hit and manipulates the barrel well. He’s not just a dead-pull hitter, with a couple of his home runs going to right field or right-center field. Alonso is not a great defender, but scouts noted that it can be playable with plenty of hard work.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Alonso combines elite exit velocities with strong plate discipline to produce huge righthanded power. The 2016 second-rounder has done nothing but mash since turning pro and has hit his way to Triple-A in short order. Alonso profiles as a middle-of-the-order masher and below-average defensive first baseman who will supply substantial value with his bat.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Alonso's incredible righthanded power translated from Florida to pro ball. He launched a 421-foot home run to center field at the 2015 College World Series, and the blast still stands as the longest at Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park. In 2017 he walloped a Florida State League-leading 16 home runs at high Class A St. Lucie at the time the Mets promoted him to Double-A-- despite missing six weeks with a broken hand. SCOUTING REPORT: Alonso generates by far the highest exit velocity and has the most power in the system. He looks for pitches to elevate with his plus-plus raw power, and the ball carries to all fields when he connects. In addition to plus game power, Alonso has a chance for an average hit tool because he hits the ball hard with frequency and doesn't swing and miss as much as many sluggers. A well below-average runner and uncoordinated, slow-bodied defender, he committed 19 errors at first base in 2017, the majority of them fielding miscues and dropped catches. He requires a lot of work to be playable in the field. THE FUTURE: Alonso has crushed lefthanders as a pro, compiling a 1.166 OPS, but he has hit a more modest .256/.316/.456 against same-side pitchers. Regardless, his power will play in the big leagues, perhaps in the second half of 2018, whether as a regular or a platoon masher.