Pete Alonso reflects on love from Mets fans amid uncertain future

All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso heard loud cheers from New York Mets fans throughout the club's final regular season homestand. He raised his helmet in appreciation of a standing ovation before his first at-bat during a massive 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. 

Alonso remains on track to reach free agency after the 2024 campaign, and he spoke with reporters following Sunday's victory about the love he received from Mets supporters throughout the evening. 

"It’s really, really special," Alonso said, as shared by Colin Martin of SNY. "That’s something that’s right out of a storybook for me. It’s truly remarkable to see and feel that reaction and appreciation from a packed house like that. It’s wild. It’s something you kind of hear about or read about or see in movies, but for me, it was really special."

Alonso has played only for the Mets since his MLB debut in 2019. He has publicly acknowledged on multiple occasions that he loves featuring for the club and calling New York home. 

That said, there's been no indication that the "Polar Bear," who turns 30 years old this coming December, will give the Mets any type of hometown discount in contract negotiations. Big-name agent Scott Boras, who has a history of taking players to free agency, represents Alonso. 

Many expect Mets owner Steve Cohen to heavily pursue New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto in free agency this offseason. It's unclear if Cohen would pay both Soto and Alonso. 

According to ESPN stats, Alonso leads the Mets with 34 home runs and 88 RBI. 

"I just feel really blessed and very fortunate to be in this organization and come up in through the organization in this fantastic city," Alonso added. "I feel very blessed."

The 87-69 Mets will enter a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves (85-71) that gets underway on Tuesday night, knowing they'd clinch a playoff berth with a series win. New York holds a two-game lead over Atlanta in the battle for the National League's final wild-card postseason spot, and the Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks are tied for the second wild card. 

It's been a roller-coaster ride for a Mets team that started the season with five straight losses, and that was 22-33 before it turned things around beginning in June. 

"People are going to think of the 2024 Mets as 'OMG' or Grimace, but the one word for me that comes to mind is resilient," Alonso said, per Will Sammon of The Athletic.