In addition to making a name for himself with hits, Mets 1B prospect Peter Alonso has used his voice to also stand out this season...
During an article he wrote early May for the Sporting News, he compared his climb through the farm system to that of a gladiator fighting his way through battle...
"Believe it or not, baseball players and ancient Roman gladiators aren't so different," he explained. "Bats are our swords used to go on offense. Gloves are our shields, used for defense. ... We perform in stadiums with spectators staring down on us."
"Just like us baseball players, gladiators have to work in order to get to Rome, or the Big Leagues," he continued. "Every time I take the field, it's personal. My livelihood is on the line every day. This is how I'm going to feed my family one day. No one is going to take this away from me. It's either going to be me or you; and it ain't going to be me."
I can already see the marketing materials, Alonso in gladiator gear standing beside Noah Syndergaard dressed as Thor.
In his second post, Alonso is more sentimental, explaining his dedication and passion for baseball, which often came at the expense of having a typical fun childhood.
"There are so many kids who I grew up with who were really good athletes and were great baseball players at the time. Honestly, they were probably better than me. The difference between me and the other kids is I simply wanted it more," he explains. "I can't tell you how much time I've spent at the field. The hitting sessions, the ground balls, the practices, the tournaments. I missed time hanging out with friends as a kid."
"In high school, I missed out on a lot of social life. I wasn't the coolest kid in school and not very many people understood me," he continues. "I saw high school and as opportunity for me. I wanted to play at the next level, whether it was college ball or pro ball. So, I spent the majority of weekends going to college camps, showcases and tournaments trying to get noticed."
This year's hype surrounding Alonso is not surprising to me...
"Alonso is going to make a lot of noise this summer," I wrote after in February after seeing him crush a home run that got the attention of Mickey Callaway. "With his size and strength, and being already 23, Alonso is going to rattle Dominic Smith's cage a bit."
Mets co-GM John Ricco said earlier this week that Alonso will not be promoted to the big leagues this season, because they already have Jay Bruce, Dominic Smith and Wilmer Flores on the roster playing first base.
"He's having a real good year, but the way we see it, the lack of playing time is a big factor," Ricco explained. "To have Pete come up and just sit -- when we looked at it -- it didn't make a lot of sense."
Alonso's agents, Adam Karon and Tripper Johnson, immediately jumped on the Mets for their lack of action, though their client wisely supported Ricco.
Video: SEE IT: Peter Alonso UP CLOSE at the Futures Game
"It is disheartening for Peter after producing an historically great season and exceeding every request from the Mets player development staff," the two agents told the New York Times. "I'm sure it is equally disheartening for Mets fans who would enjoy watching and getting to know one of the more talented and entertaining players they've developed in years."
Later that day, WFAN radio host Chris Carlin said the statement made by Karon and Johnson was "incredibly dumb." Instead of remaining silent, the not-shy Alonso challenged Carlin on Twitter asking, "Why is that dumb? They're sticking up for me. That's what they are there for."
Alonso told the NY Post that, despite what some in the media are trying to insinuate, he has no gripe with the Mets, who are aware of his desire to take the next step in his career...
"I had a private conversation with Omar and they knew how I felt, they knew I was disappointed," he explained to reporter Mike Puma. "The one thing I want to clear up is -- I kind of feel people are trying to create something between me and the Mets -- I bleed blue and orange."
The Mets can say what they want publicly, but as is common in MLB these days, Alonso is almost certainly being kept in the minors because, by not calling him up this season, the team can delay when he is first eligible to be a free agent. Further more, he's not on the 40-man roster nor eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason, which means to promote him would require potentially cutting ties with a current player.
Alonso crushes the ball. He was slowed last summer recovering from a broken hand, and he told me this past spring that he didn't feel 100 percent comfortable in the batter's box until the end of last season. Nevertheless, to date, he's hit 56 home runs with a .927 OPS during 251 career minor-league games since being drafted in the second round during 2016.
Video: Alonso on his home run, experience in Futures Game
His power and dedication to be great are undeniable. Unfortunately, as I've detailed here before, according to scouts who have watched him, he's a sluggish fielder, right-handed and without a great arm. This is not the end of the world, of course, and people watching say he's made significant improvements during the past year. However, given the speed and power of the big-league game, the fear among people in player development is that he's likely to always struggle on the right-side of the infield.
That said, Alonso told the NY Post that he's proud of how much he has improved in the field this year and he looks forward to showcasing his progress during this year's Arizona Fall League. In either case, he will be ready when he is promoted -- which, again because of service time, will almost certainly not be until after May next season.
"When I get my opportunity, I can't think about who is on the mound or who is in the field playing against me. The only thing that I need to worry about is just raking and playing good ball," he explained in a June post for the Sporting News. "The bases haven't moved since the Civil War, it's a round ball and a round bat; it's the same game I have been playing since I was 4 years old."
"Making the big leagues is my life's work," he concludes. "When that day comes, all the hard work, sacrifice and time spent will have been worth it."