Pete Alonso Takes on New Role as Leadoff Hitter

On Friday night, Pete Alonso will step into an unfamiliar position—hitting leadoff in a major league game.

The former Mets power hitter will lead off for the Orioles against the Rays in Tampa Bay.

Alonso mentioned to MLB.com’s Jake Rill that, interestingly, this is the first time he’s been up to bat at the start of a game. It seems he’s breaking new ground. “Everything is new to me,” he remarked, seemingly reflecting on this unique experience.

He even joked about wishing to carve out a niche similar to that of Kyle Schwarber, saying, “I wonder if I can become a right-handed Schwarber. Why not?” It’s clear that his confidence is building as he adjusts to this new challenge.

Unlike typical leadoff hitters, Alonso has a distinct profile—standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 245 pounds, he’s a powerful slugger. Despite his size, he ranks in the bottom eight percent for sprint speed this season, clocking in at just 25.3 miles per hour. Stealing bases has never been a major part of his game, accumulating only 23 steals over his eight-year career, although he’s already tied his season high with five this year.

Alonso’s .353 on-base percentage potentially justifies his spot at the top of the lineup, shining compared to the league average. Before this shift, he typically batted third or fourth throughout the first half of the season.

After the All-Star break, he started playing in different spots in the lineup, a shift reminiscent of his time in New York. Most of his past career was spent as a cleanup hitter while wearing the Mets uniform.

As Alonso heads into the game, his stats stand at .259/.353/.480 with 26 home runs and 77 RBIs this season. The Orioles signed him to a hefty five-year, $155 million contract in the offseason, which initially appeared disappointing when he struggled early in the season, hitting only .198 with just four home runs in the first month. But, as the month of May arrived, it seems he found his rhythm again.