Stats show why Mets' Pete Alonso is enjoying a hot start to 2025 season

Much has been made throughout April about how New York Mets star outfielder Juan Soto isn't producing at the plate as advertised after he signed a 15-year, $765M contract that could exceed $800M to join the Mets during the offseason. 

However, Tim Britton of The Athletic is among those who have pointed out that first baseman Pete Alonso having arguably the best April in team history is a big reason the Mets are 15-7 heading into the start of a three-game home series versus the Philadelphia Phillies (13-9) that gets underway on Monday night. 

For a piece published on Monday, David Schoenfield of ESPN shared why Alonso is thriving for reasons that go beyond the fact that he's sharing a lineup with Soto this spring. 

"Alonso has cut his strikeout rate from 24.7% in 2024 to 12.6% so far in 2025," Schoenfield explained. "...With some of the new Statcast measurements, we can also see that Alonso is standing a little closer to the plate (he was 29.6 inches off the plate two years ago, 28.4 last year and 27.7 so far this year) and he has narrowed the distance between his feet (33.9 inches last year, 31.5 inches this year). Are those the reasons for his better contact rate? He has never had a month in his career in which he had more walks than strikeouts, but that has been the case so far. This is a player who struck out 74 times the final two months of 2024, so he went into the season looking to make some adjustments."

Alonso reportedly rejected a seven-year, $158M contract extension offer from the Mets during the 2023 season and then looked out of sorts throughout the 2024 campaign until he hit one of the most clutch postseason home runs in franchise history. Despite that blast, he had to settle for signing a two-year, $54M contract with a player opt-out after this season to return to the Mets in February. 

Alonso slashed .240/.329/.459/.788 with 34 home runs and 88 RBI across 162 games last season. Per ESPN stats, he began the Monday after Easter leading the 2025 Mets in numerous offensive categories. 

"He has been the most locked-in Mets hitter in the early going, slashing .346/.453/.718 with six home runs and 24 RBI -- trailing only Aaron Judge in OPS among all hitters," Schoenfield added about Alonso's play since Opening Day in March. 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Alonso fifth among the betting favorites at +1100 odds to claim the National League Most Valuable Player Award for the ongoing season. Perhaps his market not being what he hoped this past winter will give him the motivation he needs to stay hot through the summer.