New York Mets: Peter Alonso to make spring MLB debut in 2018
The most intriguing non-roster invitee for the New York Mets wasn’t Tim Tebow, but it was first baseman, Peter Alonso.
The New York Mets invited 13 players, not on the active roster for Spring Training. Tim Tebow got all the buzz due to name notoriety. However, Peter Alonso should get more buzz due to the nature of the position.
First base has been a whirlwind for the Mets over the years. They haven’t had a steady player there since the days of John Olerud, and they’ve been piece-mealing the position ever since. They brought up the man who they think is the future at the position, but he struggled, as expected, in September.
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His slash line was far from spectacular, as he was .198/.292/.395, not exactly the offensive numbers expected from a major league first baseman. However, it was his first 49 games, and maybe things will change in 2018.
Smith is young and has time to improve, and maybe having someone hot on his tail in the minors will light a fire and help the Mets get the best out of him. Alonso’s career minor league numbers are .297/.364/.903 with 64 extra base hits and 84 RBI in 516 plate appearances.
According to MLB Pipeline, Alonso is the Mets seventh-best prospect overall, and the seventh-best first baseman. So, he might be able to give Smith a run for his money once he’s called up to the Majors.
Next: Tim Tebow scouting report and timeline
Alonso will likely begin the season in Binghamton, but don’t expect him to stay there for long. He could make his way to the hitter-friendly Las Vegas ballpark to play for the 51s before making a September jump to the big leagues at the end of 2018. If Smith isn’t the answer, maybe Alonso can finally solve the Mets first base dilemma. It’s been a long time coming for the Mets, and it’s about time.