New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso has made headlines with his power ever since he made his MLB debut in 2019 and hit 53 home runs that year.
A lot of that power has been achieved by pulling the ball.
However, he has shown in 2022 that he can still inflict damage by going the other way.
“15 of the 19 hits Pete Alonso has recorded so far in 2022 have been either up the middle or to right field. Another oppo single to right in the 2nd. #Mets,” Mets insider Michael Baron wrote on Twitter.
15 of the 19 hits Pete Alonso has recorded so far in 2022 have been either up the middle or to right field. Another oppo single to right in the 2nd. #Mets
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) April 27, 2022
You would think he is purposely trying to beat the shift (it is still legal for the 2022 season), or at least showing MLB defenses he can hit it up the middle or to the opposite field, as a way to keep them honest.
Many Batted Balls To The Middle And The Right Side Have Fallen For Hits
But truth be told, he is enjoying some good luck on these kinds of batted balls to the middle or the right side, because his batted ball profile hasn’t really changed much compared to what he did in 2021 or in his career.
Or maybe he is just hitting them harder than before.
Last year, he pulled 41.3 percent of his batted balls, hit 32 percent to center field, and sent 26.7 percent of them the other way.
This year, the split is 43.1 percent, 32.8 percent, and 24.1 percent, respectively.
As long as he still contributes his trademark power, then the Mets will be happy.
It’s nice to know that some of his batted balls to the middle and the right side have found grass frequently so far.
Right now, the young slugger is hitting .257/.305/.419 with three home runs.
It’s not a bad line, but it’s not quite Alonso’s level just yet.
More power should be on the way with time.
