Knowing that Francisco Lindor would miss at least a few days with a back injury, David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza called an emergency team meeting before Monday night's series opener against Washington.
The leadership felt it necessary to meet to discuss the absence of the Mets' most important player at this crucial juncture.
Then the three of them said:
President of Baseball Operations.
manager.
And Pete Alonso.
Several attendees mentioned Alonso's passion. During the meeting, Alonso mentioned that the Mets were in contention for the championship in 2019, but that wasn't the case. The Mets lost their division lead late in 2022, but didn't celebrate because they didn't fully know their fate until the final game of the season. They were quickly defeated by the Padres and eliminated from the playoffs. In fact, the Mets had no chance to make the playoffs in any of Alonso's other seasons.
So, on behalf of the veteran players and staff he has played with, Alonso emphasized that he wanted to celebrate “with the guys.” Therefore, it was essential for the team to give it their all for the rest of the fight and make it to the postseason.
This could be Alonso's final home game as a Mets player as he becomes a free agent at the end of this season, but it was an impressive start.
So it started with the Mets finding out where their power-hitting first baseman's heart lies, but they also really needed his bat, and they needed it most now with Lindor sidelined.
The words came on Monday. The action came on Tuesday. Alonso had just five RBIs in his first 14 games in September, but then he smashed the Nationals 10-1, driving in five with a two-run single and a three-run homer, moving the Nationals two games behind the Braves for the final National League wild card spot and into a tie with the Diamondbacks, who the Mets hold in a tiebreaker for the second wild-card spot.
Discussing his future and the playoff berth before the Mets (83-68) tied their all-time record with 15 games above .500, Alonso said he had a “gut feeling that everything was going to be OK.” Asked to clarify whether his goal was for the Mets to make the playoffs or for him to stay with the franchise long term, Alonso smiled and said, “Both.” That's not because there have been any secret negotiations about a contract extension, he said. He's simply saying what he wants to believe, he said. “I love it here. It's a really special place.”
He also explained that the team plans to play a game at Citi Field in October.
Alonso is as important as any Mets player to making that happen.
Alonso entered Tuesday's season with 32 homers and a .795 OPS. While those numbers would be impressive for anyone else, they were the worst OPS, home run percentage and batting average in scoring position (.225) of his career. The big hits were too few and far between for Alonso to endear him to Mets fans.
Meanwhile, the Mets have many batters in trouble, including JD Martinez, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Vientos. And while Lindor is out, the team says there is no structural damage, but it's unclear when Lindor, the Mets' best player, will return. Lindor said after Tuesday's game that nothing has changed in the last 24 hours and he doesn't know when he'll be able to play next. So there's a chance that Lindor will miss more than just a few days.
That means Alonso is the healthy hitter best placed to turn the tide in games late, and he helped turn that tide on Tuesday.
Any iconic moments Alonso has over the next few days will only increase his love affair with the Flushing fanbase. Steve Cohen and Stearns don't seem to be the type to get too emotional in negotiations, especially Stearns. But Cohen has made it clear how much he cares about honoring Mets history and making history, and Alonso is a big part of that. And he could play an even bigger role over the next 10 days.
Still, Alonso insisted he's trying not to get distracted by free agency or what may be his final home game at Citi Field. He also argued that with Lindor out, he needs to be the “main character” more than ever. No matter who's in the lineup, how the season is going or what lies ahead, Alonso stressed that he “feels responsible” every day.
“Yeah, this year hasn't been my benchmark necessarily,” Alonso said, “but for me, there are still 12 games left and the No. 1 thing I want to do is win and contribute to a winning culture. And this team is great. Whatever happens in free agency happens. I'm not too worried about it.”
Alonso emphasized the team culture and how much he cares about the team during Monday's clubhouse meeting. “I wanted to say something from my heart to the players,” Alonso explained. But the Mets aren't going to take his word for it. They need his bat to speak louder than it has this season. They need more games like Tuesday.
