Mets slugger Pete Alonso explains why he deactivated his social media accounts

Pete Alonso became an instant fan favorite during his incredible rookie season two years ago, but New York Mets and MLB fans cannot follow the slugger on social media at the moment. That’s because Alonso deactivated all of his accounts.

Alonso has not been active on Twitter or Instagram for quite some time. He was asked about that on Friday, and he said the decision has to do with him wanting to focus on “real life.”

“I think that real life is just absolutely fantastic. … I want to spend every second soaking in every single day, because every single new day is a blessing. … I want to just live in real life,” Alonso said, via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

It’s hard to argue with that outlook. Plenty of athletes have taken breaks from social media before, and you can understand why. Twitter and the like allow athletes and celebrities to have a voice, but they can also be exhausting.

Alonso isn’t one to shut fans out. We saw a great example of that when he gave MLB the green light to mic him up last year. There are plenty of ways to establish a personal relationship with fans, and you can’t blame Alonso for choosing to do it through other means than social media.