Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the bitter end to the season, 2022 was still a special year for the Mets. The team won 101 games and made the postseason for the first time since 2016. It saw dozens of unforgettable moments and outstanding individual performances from players like Pete Alonso, Max Scherzer, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Díaz.

Still, there is a sense of unfinished business around the Mets as they enter 2023. While there are several new faces like Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and José Quintana, the core of the team remains mostly the same as it was a season ago when they lost the division in the final week of September and were eliminated early from the playoffs by the Padres.

Few players represent the heart of the team more than Alonso, who is now entering his fifth season in a Mets uniform and has been apart of all of the ups and downs of the last four years. Alonso took questions from the media in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday to reflect on last season and speak about his and the team’s expectations for 2023.

When asked what he had to say to Mets fans ahead of this season, Alonso had a simple message: “Buckle up.”

Alonso will once again be a driving force of the Mets offense in 2023. The 28-year-old is coming off a season where he slashed .271/.352/.518 and hit 40 home runs with a league-leading 131 RBIs. Without elite power elsewhere lineup, Alonso’s ability to hit long balls is especially critical to the team’s success.

Alonso, who is set to hit free agency in two years, was also asked about his contractual situation coming off the heels of the Mets extension with his longtime teammate Jeff McNeil. While Alonso acknowledged he doesn’t know what the future holds, he reiterated that he loves being a Met and playing in New York.

Alonso’s potential extension will be a fascinating subplot to the season, but, for now, the focus will turn to how the team looks in spring training, how they will adjust to the new MLB rules, and how Alonso and others will perform in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. With Opening Day only 43 days away, it is time to buckle up indeed.