Mets' Pete Alonso explains using unique tool in on-deck circle

During a recent chat with Roger Rubin of Newsday, Alonso shared that he got the idea after he learned that Barry Bonds warmed up by taking sledgehammer swings during his days with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Controversies aside, Bonds is widely regarded as one of the greatest hitters in MLB history. 

"I started swinging and hitting front toss and balls off the tee with it in the offseason," Alonso said about adding the sledgehammer to his routines. "I use it as a tool just to make sure everything’s sequencing correctly in my swing."

Previous stories detailed Alonso's off-the-field work he embraced to improve his offensive numbers as he became the Mets' most valuable player of the first half of the ongoing season. While he cooled off a bit even before he began dealing with a right-hand contusion, ESPN stats show the "Polar Bear" entered Friday leading the team (among qualified players) with a .272 batting average, an .885 OPS, 80 RBI and 26 doubles. Additionally, Alonso was second on the Mets with 22 home runs heading into Friday's series opener at the San Francisco Giants (54-49).

Meanwhile, Nimmo slashed .264/.330/.467 with a .797 OPS, 19 homers and 57 RBI over his first 99 games of the season. 

Alonso insisted the sledgehammer "isn’t magic fairy dust that will cure everything" for a slumping star. 

"Think about it like an artist who has many different kinds of brushes," Alonso continued. "They have their tools. We have ours. We have like a trillion different things: heavy bats, different grips, weights, sizes. They are all tools and [it’s] whatever tools a hitter needs to use to produce their work. You get the tool you’re most comfortable with and think you can use to produce your best work. For me, it’s an eight-pound sledgehammer."

The 59-44 Mets ended Thursday holding a half-game lead over the rival Philadelphia Phillies (58-44) for first place in the National League East. Perhaps the sledgehammer can serve as a good-luck charm for the 2025 Mets after the club adopted an "OMG" sign last year.