New York Mets first base prospect Peter Alonso has certainly made his case to be brought up to the big leagues, but the question is is he fully ready?
Taking a look at his offensive success thus far in 2018, Alonso has batted .277/.394/.558 in 430 at bats between Binghamton and Las Vegas. In looking at his time in both levels separately, his numbers are practically identical which is a good sign and means that he should continue to improve at a steady pace.
With Binghamton, Alonso racked up a .314 average with a .440 on-base percentage and .573 slugging percentage in 220 at bats in 65 games; comprised of 69 hits, 15 home runs, and 52 RBIs.
Currently with Las Vegas he has a .238 average, .344 on-base percentage, and .542 slugging percentage after 210 at bats in 55 games; this breaks down to 50 hits, 16 home runs, and 56 RBIs.
Based off these numbers alone, it’s pretty clear that Alonso is a consistent offensive player, and has just about made his case to be promoted to the bigs.
The pro of Alonso being promoted would be the reps at first, his natural position, and for him to get a feel for the pace of play in the majors. He can then bring that experience with him to Spring Training, which would help him further develop and make his case for a spot on the 40-man roster.
The major downside to Alonso’s game has been his defensive struggles and high strikeout rate. Overall, Alonso has committed 9 errors this season, 6 with Binghamton and 3 with Las Vegas, which raises concern about his defensive development. This would have to be a key focus during the remainder of the season and the upcoming winter.
Despite the struggles, Alonso was named Defensive Player of the Month for the month of July. It can be assumed that he received this accolade due to the work he has put in and the dedication he shows to the game.
Another cause for concern in the fact that Alonso has struck out a total of 68 times in his 210 at-bats with the 51s. However, once he gets more reps and becomes more comfortable this should no longer be an issue.
When thinking about whether or not he should be brought up, it is a little difficult to say what would be the best decision for Alonso. Sure the fans are dying to see him in the bigs, but is he actually ready for it?
That’s unclear as of right now.
Should Alonso be brought up, he would have the finally month to receive a good amount of reps at first and gain the plate experience which could be carried into Spring Training.
Though this is the ideal situation, if Alonso were to receive a promotion before the end of this season there is no true first baseman on the roster for him to work with and learn from. Wilmer Flores is still too young to be a mentor, and he has his own fair share of defensive issues. Jay Bruce would be a nice veteran mentor, but he is obviously not a first baseman.
As much as fans want to see him come up, is it worth the risk? Perhaps the better option would be for him to remain in Vegas and get those reps in and further practice his position before heading to New York. Perhaps you feel enough is enough, and you want Alonso to don the orange and blue already.
Either way, it will certainly be exciting to see what comes next for Peter Alonso on his journey to the big stage.
