How Will He Thrive in Twenty-Five?: Pete Alonso

[Edgy MD]

His name is Pete Alonso, and brother, sister, he's kind of in my third straight contract-drive year. Yogi Berra said the way to get a winning team was to get 25 guys on a one -year deal, always playing for the next contract.

Yogi probably wasn't entirely serious, but yeah, maybe guys stay in shape and get in early when they're on a contract drive, but that also means they may press, and crumble under the weight of the burden on their shoulders. A little of the old Archie Bel & the Drells. Pete's in his third time around, and the first two were kinda iffy, with his batting average plummeting in 2023 and his power numbers falling off in 2024.

Power is his calling card, so he's gonna want to display that, but that's all the more reason for pitchers to take advantage of his aggressiveness, and you can just see him flailing at the sliders tail out of the zone.

But on the other hand, three straight walk years may mean that he is getting experienced at this salary-drive thing, so maybe he's 2025 dynamite. Your opinions are welcome.

[FIMG=312]https://sportsnaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/18595309.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=388]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/ar_16:9,g_auto,q_auto:good,w_1536,c_fill,f_jpg/mlb/ooalxaj0ambj5ay3fpzv[/FIMG]

[FIMG=380]https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/omnisport/fe/4f/alonso-pete-usnews-082719-ftr-getty_1bb4gewuhi4bk1lupc2lw377k6.jpg?t=-703246268&w=%7Bwidth%7D&quality=80[/FIMG] [FIMG=320]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/07/Pete-Alonso-wins-the-2021-Home-Run-Derby..jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1280[/FIMG]

[roger_that]

. Your opinions are welcome.

 

 

Thank you.

My opinion is that this "pressing" stuff is nonsense. Much more like "random variations" that can be argued to look like "pressing."

When we have expectations for someone, often based on having performed over his head (randomly) the previous season(s), and then he regresses to the mean, we go "Ah HA!!! PRESSING! Crumbled under the weight of a salary drive! This shows that his character is lacking in the following traits [proceeds to list various character traits]."

Also at some point in their careers, all players just lose abilities. When this loss coincides with a "salary drive year," we go "Ah HA!..."

But it's mostly nonsense. In Pete's case, he may just have peaked two or three years ago, and we're witnessing the plateau-and-decline years. Don't mean he's pressing, though if you say that often enough it may seem so to people, possibly including Pete.

[Edgy MD]

It's just color, man. I'm not trying to make you eat anything you don't want.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Microsoft Windows tells me that today is International Polar Bear Day.

There's a family of polar bears that lives in the house down the block from me. I'm going to invite them over for dinner.

[Cowtipper]

He's going to be bummed that he didn't get that 45 billion dollar contract that he wanted and slip to .235 with 30 home runs and 85 RBI....which actually isn't that far off from his 2024 performance.

[metirish]

I think Pete will thrive

.275 - 38 HR - 110 RBI