New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso: 2022 Mets 'didn't have as much fun as we should have'

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/22/23

Slugger Pete Alonso believes he knows what the 2022 New York Mets lost across the final month or so of what became a disappointing season.

"The whole goal is to get to the playoffs after 162 and then capitalize and then obviously compete and win the championship," Alonso said during an interview that will air on SNY's "Mets Hot Stove" on Wednesday night, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "I feel like going down that road, once we kind of got halfway through September, as a team I feel like we didn’t have as much fun as we should’ve."

The Mets famously held a 10.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League East division standings on June 1. As Joe DeLessio mentioned for New York Magazine, the Braves then went 76-32 up through a three-game sweep of the Mets in the fall. Both teams finished with 101 regular-season victories, but Atlanta ultimately claimed the division crown.

Since the Mets had a 10.5-game lead on June 1, they're 63-44. That's a 95-win pace over a 162-game season.

They didn't choke away the NL East. The Braves went crazy - 76-32, which is a 114-win pace - and took it away.

If the Mets win 2 of 3 vs. the Nats, they'll have 100 wins.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 3, 2022

A seemingly exhausted New York squad then won just one of three home wild-card playoff games against the San Diego Padres to complete a campaign once filled with realistic World Series hopes. Alonso indicated the Mets simply got away from the type of levity and lightheartedness that made them a first-place club.

"It’s awesome to work hard, and you work so hard all year long and you’re finally right there close to the finish line, I feel like we didn’t enjoy it as much as we should’ve because in baseball you never know when you can capture magic," Alonso said. "And I feel like we had it but we didn’t necessarily fully enjoy the success that we had after a long year, because playing the way we did is really hard."

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo is routinely mentioned as the top candidate to become the next captain of the Mets after he re-signed via an eight-year contract reportedly worth $162 million. While Alonso remains eligible for free agency after the 2024 season, he's speaking and acting like a leader within the clubhouse early into spring training.

More must-reads: