In the minds of some, Mets slugger Pete Alonso handled being dropped in the lineup on Monday against the Cardinals with grace. Others, like WFAN host Chris McMonigle, thought the first baseman wasn’t being genuine.
On Tuesday, McMonigle gave Alonso some unsolicited advice regarding his comments regarding him being dropped to fifth in the Mets lineup, the first time he’s batted above the clean-up spot since 2020.
“For the first time, I’m really starting to realize that this has weighed on him on such a level that he’s so defensive in his comments and so selfish in his thought process with these comments,” McMonigle said, via Audacy. “I’m not saying he’s a selfish player, but these comments are selfish. What he said speaks volumes to me.”
The comments McMonigle is referencing were:
“I’m on pace for close to 40 homers, I was an All-Star this year, to beat myself up or be frustrated, it’s really no use,” Alonso told reporters, via SNY. I’m really excited for the end of the year where we get to play winning baseball. I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished this year so far and I think that there’s definitely going to be some opportunities that i’m looking forward to capitalize on.”
McMonigle takes issue with the way Alonso perceives himself versus reality.
Alonso is batting .241, an improvement from last season when he hit a career-low .217, but still below his career average (.249). Known for his power hitting — Alonso has the most home runs (219) in MLB since debuting in 2019 — this season, he’s on pace for 33 home runs, which would be his fewest total in a 162-game season. His .464 slugging percentage and .790 OPS also represent career lows for Alonso.
Then there are his numbers with runners in scoring position (RISP). This season, he’s posted a career-worst slash line with RISP (198/.331/.359).
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