Mets first baseman Pete Alonso was named one of the eight nominees for the NL Hank Aaron Award, which is given to each league’s best offensive player.
Playing in 161 of the Mets’ 162 games, Alonso mashed 40 home runs and set the team’s single-season RBI record with 131. He also scored 95 runs, had a 143 wRC+ (nearly identical to his record-setting rookie season), stole five bases, dropped his strikeout rate to a career-low 18.7% and added 27 more extra-base hits with that many doubles.
It was one of the best offensive seasons in Mets history. He already sits at seventh all-time in home runs (147) and 17th in RBIs (380) in franchise history in just three-and-a-half seasons.
He’ll be up against some stiff competition, though. Other National League nominees include Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, Braves third baseman Austin Riley, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, Padres third baseman Manny Machado and Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
The winners are determined by a combination of fan votes and voting from a group of Hall of Famers. Those HoFers are: Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Pedro Martínez, John Smoltz, Johnny Bench, Craig Biggio, Eddie Murray and Robin Yount
You can vote for Alonso over at MLB.com. MLB has given out the Hank Aaron Award since 1999. No Met has ever won the award.
