Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2018: 7, Peter Alonso

7. Peter Alonso, 1B

Height: 6’3”, Weight: 245 lbs.

DOB: 12/7/94 (23)

Acquired: 2nd round, 2016 Draft (University of Florida)

Bats/Throws: R/R

2017: St. Lucie (High-A): 82 G, 346 PA, .286/.361/.516, 23 2B, 0 3B, 16 HR, 3/4 SB, 25 BB, 64 K / Binghamton (Double-A): 11 G, 47 PA, .311/.340/.578, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 0/0 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

With their third pick in the 2016 Draft, the Mets selected Peter Alonso, the starting first baseman for the University of Florida Gators and one of the preeminent power threats in the NCAA. When the Gators’ run in the College World Series ended, Alonso was assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones. As an advanced college hitter coming from an NCAA division where he regularly faced competition equal to or better than what he saw in the NY-Penn League, Peter Alonso looked like a man among boys, hitting .321/.382/.587 in 30 games before having his season end in early August thanks to a broken pinky. His 2017 season started out slowly as he dealt with another broken hand and the baseball rust recovering from it in April, May, and early June, but after working with Chad Kreuter and the other St. Lucie Mets coaches to refine his approach and swing, the big right-hander had a monster second half, hitting .275/.352/.500 in June, .336/.394/.603 in July, and .312/.395/.569 in August.

Alonso’s calling card is his power, and he has that in spades. It grades out as plus-plus raw, and thanks to average bat speed and good strike zone awareness, there’s a very good chance that he will be able to continue tapping into it during games and remain a middle-of-the-order power threat. Alonso’s swing is still a bit long, as are the swings of most sluggers, but the first baseman showed an improved ability to not just make contact but make authoritative contact as the 2017 season progressed, which bodes well for the future so long as he can continue making adjustments.

Defense is an area where there are plenty of improvement needs to be made. First base is generally considered the least difficult fielding position to play, but at times, the 6’3”, 250 lb. fielder looked lost. As a right-handed first baseman, there are some inherent hurtles for Alonso to have to jump, but he did himself no favors throughout the season, showing trouble fielding balls and receiving throws. More reps may help, as Alonso has spent only about 60% of his collegiate and professional career combined playing first, with the rest of the time at third or DHing, but even with some improvements, he still is likely to be a well below average fielder.

Greg Karam says:

The reviews have been mixed for Mr. Alonso, with some unconvinced he will hit more advanced pitching and also unsure if he can handle first base defensively. Sounds similar to another first baseman in the org. It’s a tough profile; he’ll need to hit a ton to be a useful big-leaguer. That’s all he’s done thus far, and with his power potential he makes for an exciting prospect.

Lukas Vlahos says:

Alonso has the potential to be the right-handed successor to the Good first baseman. He’s got plenty of raw power and has kept the strikeouts under control so far, but he’s also an advanced college bat who has 47 PA in Double-A. A longer stint with the Rumble Ponies will be a huge test for Alonso - if the power keeps manifesting in game and the strikeouts don’t explode, Dom Smith will have to start looking over his shoulder.

Steve Sypa says:

Last season, there were questions about Alonso’s bat and his ability to hit for average. Not that I ignored them, but I felt that Alonso would not have been able to get to where he was in his baseball career without being a student of the game, listening to his coaches, and putting in the necessary work. Sure enough, when he was struggling last season, he and his coaches worked on his swing, and those changes resulting in a huge second half. If those adjustments are real, Peter Alonso is the first baseman of the future.