The Mets closed a lost season at 74-88, their first last-place finish in the NL East in 23 years, with one familiar absence hanging over Citi Field: Pete Alonso. David Stearns acknowledged that New York’s decision not to pursue its longtime first baseman became impossible to ignore as the club’s offense faltered and its replacement production at the position dried up.
Key takeaways
- Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million deal with Baltimore after the Mets chose not to bring him back.
- Alonso led the American League with 43 home runs and 113 RBIs while appearing in every game for a third straight season.
- Mets first basemen combined for 18 homers, 77 RBIs and a .667 OPS, third-worst in the majors at the position.
- New York carried a record $358 million payroll but finished 74-88, its poorest record since 2017.
- Stearns said the organization is determined not to endure another season spent “playing out the string.”
A decision that followed the Mets all summer
At his season-ending news conference, the Mets’ president of baseball operations was asked whether, with the benefit of hindsight, he would have pushed harder to retain Alonso. Stearns did not dodge the premise.
“That’s a very fair question,” Stearns said. “The truth is, in this job, I don’t get mulligans.”
He credited Alonso for an outstanding year and conceded that New York did not get enough production from first base. The Mets had let their homegrown franchise home run leader leave in free agency last fall while Stearns placed greater emphasis on pitching and defense.
That approach did not deliver the intended results. With a grin, Stearns said he might retire the phrase “run prevention,” adding that it had not worked especially well for the club.
Alonso, now 31, made Baltimore’s investment look strong. He paced the AL in both home runs and RBIs, hitting 43 and driving in 113. His every-game season was his third in a row, and he became the first major leaguer to win an RBI crown in both leagues.
For the Mets, the void became more pronounced when Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor each missed extended time with calf injuries. Soto ended the year with a .908 OPS, the second-lowest mark of his career. Lindor posted full-season career lows in batting average (.225), OPS (.733), RBIs (49) and stolen bases (three).
The club’s first basemen managed only 18 home runs and 77 RBIs, finishing with a .667 OPS. Only Seattle and Arizona received a lower OPS from the position.
From April skid to a long September
New York’s season took on its shape early. A 12-game losing streak in April buried the Mets, and they spent nearly all the remaining schedule in the division basement. The final 74-88 mark was the franchise’s worst since 2017.
Alonso’s return to Citi Field with Baltimore supplied one of the season’s more emotional scenes. Orioles fans watched their new cleanup hitter help sweep a three-game series, while Mets fans gave their former star standing ovations before each plate appearance.
On Sept. 15, Alonso tied Baltimore’s game in the ninth inning with his 300th career homer. He answered the ovation with an uncommon road curtain call, as a crowd of 28,097 broke into chants of “Fire Stearns!”
Stearns spoke after the Mets had completed their final weekend in Washington, a series played without postseason stakes. He called that circumstance miserable for everyone in uniform and throughout the front office.
“This past weekend that we just experienced in Washington, where you are literally playing out the string, it’s miserable,” Stearns said. “That is a miserable experience for players, for coaches, for executives.”
He said the drive to avoid a repeat runs through the entire organization, beginning with ownership. The Mets do not get a redo on Alonso, but the lessons from a costly, last-place year will shape what comes next.
