New York Mets outfielder Jeff McNeil thinks teammate Pete Alonso will out-homer Aaron Judge this season: "It’s going to be a fun race"
New York Mets outfielder Jeff McNeil believes that teammate Pete Alonso will hit 60 home runs this season.
On the "Foul Territory" podcast, McNeil said that he believes that the Mets first baseman and top slugger could outhit New York Yankees home run king Aaron Judge this season.
youtube.com/watch?v=2cmubu…Jeff McNeil tells @aj_pierzynskiFT he thinks Pete Alonso will hit 60 homers this year 🔥
"Every time he touches the ball, it seems to go over the fence."
#FTLive ▶️ youtube.com/watch?v=2cmubu… https://t.co/iBNiBeD9c8
"Every time he touches the ball, it seems to go over the fence," McNeil said.
Pete Alonso is hitting a home run every 11.4 plate appearances this season and is averaging just over four plate appearances a game. One of the more durable players in MLB, Alonso has played in 161 games in 2019, 152 in 2021 and 160 in 2022. He also played 57 games in the COVID-19-shortened, 60-game 2020 season.
If he holds to that number of games, his homer total at the current pace lands in between 59 and 60.
Pete Alonso's 20 homers leads the major leagues. He also leads the National League with 46 RBIs. All that, and he's still hitting 22 points below his career average of .259 at .238 entering Wednesday night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Since joining the Mets in 2019, when he hit an MLB-leading 53 homers, he leads the majors with 166 round-trippers and 426 RBIs.
Judge, his fellow New York City homer-hitting superstar, told reporters on Tuesday that he is keeping tabs on Alonso. He said he believes that the Mets superstar's efforts help keep fans interested in the sport.
"To see what he’s doing now is exciting," Judge said. "It’s good for the game. Him doing his thing with the Mets and hopefully getting there makes baseball better."
Nature called before a recent Pete Alonso homer
Alonso said on the "Foul Territory" podcast that a recent home run of his came because he urgently needed to use the bathroom. He hit a homer on the first pitch off of Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene because he had to go No. 2.
“I’m like goodness gracious, I … this is not good," Alonso said. "So, I was hitting the top of the second – I was leading off the inning – and I said I don’t care where this pitch is, this at-bat is ending first pitch. Because I need to go.”
That homer ended up being critical in a 2-1 Mets victory.