ST. LOUIS (AP) — In a sport where the most successful players fail in most of their at-bats, Pete Alonso knows perfection is not possible. But that won’t stop him from trying.
Alonso hit the go-ahead home run in the Mets’ 9-3 win at St. Louis on Friday night to keep up his strong start.
“This game is really imperfect, and I never really truly feel like that it’s ever going to be perfect, but I just want to be able to strive for that perfection,” Alonso said.
Through 33 games, Alonso has an 1.137 OPS for the NL East-leading Mets. A career .249 hitter entering 2025, his batting average is .345 and he’s also drawn 24 walks.
Alonso said his drive to take his game to the next level was spurred on by getting a taste of the playoffs last year, when New York made it to the NL Championship Series.
“Every game counts,” Alonso said.
Beyond that, every at-bat and every swing — or decision not to swing — matters.
“This is year seven (in MLB)," Alonso said. "I know what I need to do to be successful. And for me, I think just holding on to holding on to my swing mechanics and just trying to be the best version of myself every single pitch, every single at bat, every single night.”
Brandon Nimmo, Alonso’s teammate his entire big-league career, has seen the difference.
“I think it’s just another exclamation point on all the work that he’s done this offseason. It seems like he’s in an amazing spot, to me,” Nimmo said. “It’s not just a flash in the pan. Like, this is sustained success.
Last season, Alonso struck out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances, tying for the 14th-most in the league. He’s reduced that number to less than 15% so far this season.
“We know the power is there, and we know he’s a good hitter, but he gets in trouble when he starts chasing,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I feel like now, like he’s taking his walk and he’s getting pitches to hit and he’s not missing them.”
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New York Mets' Pete Alonso watches his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, May 2, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
