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Orioles' Pete Alonso on offensive surge since All-Star break
Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Pete Alonso. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Orioles' Pete Alonso on offensive surge since All-Star break

Since the All-Star break, Pete Alonso has been raking for the Baltimore Orioles, batting .318 with seven home runs, a .981 OPS and a 177 wRC+ that ranks second in MLB. He also leads MLB with 68 RBI since May 1.

He earned American League Player of the Week on Aug. 17 after going 12-for-22 (.545) with two home runs, five RBI and a stellar 1.494 OPS across six games for the Orioles. 

On the season, he is slashing .267/.367/.496 with a .857 OPS along with 28 home runs and 81 RBI with 51 extra-base hits across 125 games. The 31-year-old veteran is on pace to hit 36 home runs with 105 RBI as there are still six weeks left to play. 

In the Orioles' 7-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, Alonso hit his 28th home run of the season. But the Orioles won the series against the AL East-leading Rays, and Alonso went 8-for-19 (.421) at the plate in the series with three bombs, four RBI, three walks and four runs scored across four games. 

Pete Alonso shining in his first season with Orioles

His 28 home runs this season also leads the Orioles, and his 28th homer was hit to opposite field. He's showcased elite opposite-field power, crushing 13 out of the 28 he's hit this season in that fashion.

Alonso has shown that it doesn't matter who's in front of him or behind him in the lineup, as he has been an elite run producer, driving in runs consistently. He owns a .913 OPS in his last 15 games with a hard-hit rate of 56.4% and an average exit velocity of 94.2 that both sit in the 98th percentile. 

He's illustrated his leadership in the Orioles clubhouse, and only one season into his five-year, $155 million contract, he's been worthy every penny so far. 

He's been a strong contributor to the Orioles' success as lately, as they worked their way into an AL wild-card spot on Monday for the first time since April 13. 

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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