MMO Roundtable: Thoughts on the Alonso, Paddack Feud

The biggest headline coming into the series against the Padres was Chris Paddack‘s comments about Pete Alonso. In those comments, Paddack acknowledged Alonso was a great player who deserved to be named the National League Player of the Month. He also said he was looking forward to facing Alonso and letting the matchup show who is the better player.

Like everything, this took on a life of its own with everyone offering their opinions of a rivalry, or if you prefer a feud, which really appeared out of nowhere. In the latest edition of the MMO Roundtable, our writers offer their opinions on the events:

Marshall Field – Too Much, Too Soon

It was a lot to do about nothing. It was about a young pitcher, probably a tad immature but very competitive trying to get to a plateau that Alonso has already reached. But Rookie-of-the-Month is not enough for Paddack, he’s after Rookie of the Year, and he sees Alonso as the chief player in his way to his goal. So he did some posturing on Monday and it was a bit overboard for a regular season game. I admire his competitiveness, but with five months of the season still to go, it may have been a little too much, too soon.

Jack Hendon – Alonso Showed Maturity

Alonso couldn’t have handled the situation any better. Paddack is a fierce competitor with a world of talent, and that was on full display all of last night. I don’t think he actually carries any ill will towards either Alonso or the organization, but it definitely came off oddly. On one hand, you have to imagine he understands that the Mets themselves had no impact on who ultimately won Rookie of the Month, and that the league itself is to blame for robbing him. That said, hopefully, this is the last we need to hear about this story, because it certainly felt weird to watch it unfold. The big takeaway, as it’s been through a lot of his professional career, is Alonso’s maturity.

Mojo Hill – Fun to Have a Rivalry

I also think too big of a deal is being made out of this. Paddack wasn’t trying to show Alonso up, he even complimented him multiple times and was simply expressing his competitive nature. I think Alonso handled it okay, although I wish he hadn’t said that Paddack’s comments didn’t sit well. I think it’s fun to have a little rivalry between players like this, and hopefully, Alonso takes him deep next time. If it’s all in good fun, I think it is great and exciting for the game to see two talented young players going at it with each other.

Matt Mancuso – No Issues At All

Personally, I have no problem with it. I’m all for players celebrating and creating rivalries. Not everyone can hit 400 foot plus home runs or throw in the upper 90s and so if you can do that, that’s worth celebrating. The stakes are only raised when one player has an extremely competitive personality, i.e. Paddack. Even though he’s still new to the league, Alonso handled the situation very maturely and this only ups the ante when they face off next.

Andrew Percoco – Bush League

Tommy Rothman – Whole Lotta Nothing

I think it’s a whole lot of nothing. It seems pretty one-sided… I don’t think Alonso cares all too much. And I don’t really have a problem with Paddack getting all excited on the mound after striking Pete out— players have the right to get excited. But that being said, I’d love to see Alonso take Paddack deep the next time they meet.

Tim Ryder – Bonus Plot Line

These are two talented ballplayers doing what they do best — competing. Personally, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. I love the fact that these two are setting high standards for themselves. It’s good for the game and outstanding from a fan’s perspective — bonus plot lines are the best.

Dilip Sridhar – Non-Story

Non-story. Paddack is really good and he’s going to be winning more awards that are far more valuable than Rookie of the Month. Odds are he’ll have a better career than Alonso when it’s all said and done.

John Sheridan – Best Response Was the Bat Flip

Personally, I think most people just reacted to the reaction instead of focusing on the words themselves. Paddack never slighted Alonso in the least. Rather, he said he wanted to prove himself and ultimately show he was the better player. It’s just plain bizarre fans were riled up, and Alonso “didn’t take kindly to it” and would go so far as to say Paddack was jealous.

At some point, Alonso has to realize with his homers and his celebrating on the field, he is going to be a target for other teams. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. This is exactly the type of player he wants to be, and this is the player we all hope he would be. While Paddack flat out dominated him, and he didn’t handle the situation well post-game, he could not have responded better than the way he did last night hitting the go-ahead homer and having an epic bat flip.

Overall, our writers seem mixed between calling this a non-story and believing the incident showed Alonso’s maturity. Do you agree with our writers? We look forward to continuing the discussion in the comments section.