Big week for the Polar Bear. With the added help of higher altitude, Alonso was crushing balls. For games from August 3 to August 9, Alonso slashed .292/.393/.464 with a stout .857 OPS. He crushed two home runs during the course of these games, and drove in four runs. His two home runs at Coors Field were mammoth 471 and 454 foot shots, respectively. This week’s Statistical Spotlight will feature Pete Alonso.
Alonso did not miss pitches that came across the heart of the plate. As shown in the graph below, Alonso’s two home runs came from pitches that were middle and mostly belt high. When Pete made contact with pitches, he was able to drive them deep. He also accounted for five singles during the course of these games, showing his versatility. While the long ball is flashier, it’s important for Alonso to continue making his plate appearances count even if that means settling for singles.
What can also be seen from the graph is that Alonso went fishing out of the zone. Often these pitches resulted in ground balls, and one resulting in a ground ball double play. Another area that Alonso struggled with this week was his strikeouts. He struck out ten times over the course of these games.
It’s great to see the Mets’ first base slugger capitalizing on pitches across the middle of the plate. He is making pitchers pay when they make mistakes. Look for Alonso to tighten up his zone to become more efficient at the plate.
While he bolstered an impressive .292 average for the August 3 to August 9 games, he could improve upon his plate discipline, particularly with pitches that are low in the strike zone. Hopefully the high altitude was the spark the Polar Bear needed to go on a home run spree. He will be vital if the Mets wish to keep pace in the National League.
