Player of the Month Alonso keeps it rolling in May

5:50 AM UTC

ST. LOUIS -- Late Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced that was the National League Player of the Month for March/April. And for his encore …

Alonso hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning Friday at Busch Stadium, providing the most impactful hit in a game that, at the time, was still close. It didn’t end up that way, with the Mets scoring four times in the fifth and twice in the seventh to secure a 9-3 victory -- their fifth in a row against the Cardinals this season.

Batting with one out and Juan Soto on second in the fifth inning, Alonso launched his eighth homer over the center-field fence. Alonso also singled earlier in the game, finishing 2-for-5 to raise his batting average to a surprisingly robust .345 -- good for second in the NL and well above his previous career high of .271 back in 2022. Additionally, Alonso is tied for seventh in the NL in home runs and ranks second in RBIs, with 30.

“He’s so deserving of that, Player of the Month,” teammate Brandon Nimmo said. “It’s just another exclamation mark on all the work he’s done this offseason. It seems like he’s in an amazing spot to me. It’s not just a flash in the pan. This is sustained success.”

Alonso wasn’t alone on this night, as Nimmo also homered and Clay Holmes delivered a quality start to snap a two-game skid for the Mets, who have not lost three in a row this season.

But no one contributed a more impactful hit than Alonso, whose performance was an extension of what he achieved in March/April: a .343/.475/.657 slash line with seven homers, 11 doubles and 28 RBIs -- a month that by most measures was the best of his career. Since signing a two-year, $54 million prove-it contract with an opt-out after this season, Alonso has done exactly that: proven it. He’s gotten better in nearly every facet of his offensive game.

As has often been the case with Alonso, offensive success has revolved around his plate approach, which this year has also been -- by far -- the best of his career. Alonso is walking more often than he’s striking out, with a career-high walk rate and a career-low strikeout rate. And when pitchers come in the zone, he’s doing damage.

Alonso’s hard-hit rate and barrel percentage are both not only up from last season, but among the best in baseball. Even his bat speed has increased from its already elite levels, which he says is a product of refining his mechanics and maintaining balance at the plate.

“It’s not doing something new,” Alonso said, “it’s just cleaning up and making things more efficient that makes things like that happen.”

Specifically, Alonso said, he’s managed to maintain his body control in ways he never could in the past, which has allowed him to “hold that back side” in his stance and prime himself for success. With better body control, Alonso can see pitches for longer, more easily lay off mistakes, take harder hacks at balls in the zone and, ultimately, do more damage.

“His ability to control the strike zone is probably the best I’ve seen it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We know the power’s there. We know he’s a good hitter. But he gets in trouble when he starts chasing. I feel like now, he’s taking his walks, and he’s getting his pitches to hit and he’s not missing them.”

Added Nimmo: “When Pete Alonso stays in the zone, it’s just going to be really hard to get him out.”

The extent to which Alonso can maintain this sort of production will determine two key aspects of his future. One is the first baseman’s next contract, after he inevitably opts out of this one. If Alonso can parlay five hot weeks into the strongest season of his career, he may find a much more generous free-agent market awaiting him next season.

The other, of course, is team success. The Mets are 7-1 when Alonso homers. Especially with Soto off to a relatively slow start, the Mets have leaned on Alonso to be their top thumper. Even once Soto rounds into form, a productive Alonso can ensure that this offense remains one of the game’s best.

“I never really, truly feel that it’s ever going to be perfect,” Alonso said. “But I just want to strive for that perfection.”