Pete Alonso Slated To Participate In Fifth-Straight Home Run Derby

Updated Post – July 7 at 8:50 pm ET

Major League Baseball announced Sunday evening that Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will once again participate in the home run derby.

This will be the fifth-straight derby Alonso has participated in. He is looking for his third title. Alonso joins Alec Bohm of the Phillies and Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles among players confirmed for the event.

Alonso ranks 15th in the majors in home runs with 15. He is the Mets lone All-Star representative.

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Sunday evening, Major League Baseball announced the reserves and pitchers selected to the All-Star game. In a surprising development, Pete Alonso was named the Mets’ lone representative. This while Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor were snubbed.

Alonso, by his lofty standards has not had his best year. Entering Sunday’s game, he owned an wRC+ and OPS both below his career averages. Additionally, he is only on pace for 33 home runs, a number that would be a career-low, not counting the COVID-shortened season. Regardless, his numbers as a whole are still above league average. This is Alonso’s third-straight All-Star appearance and fourth overall.

Nimmo, along with Lindor, appeared to be the more deserving Mets candidates. Entering Sunday, Nimmo ranked third among all National League outfielders in fWAR. Meanwhile, Lindor ranked second in fWAR among National League shortstops trailing on Elly De La Cruz.

In the National League, Trea Turner got voted in as the starter and De La Cruz as well as CJ Abrams was elected as a reserve over Lindor. Meanwhile, Christian Yelich, Jurickson Profar, and Fernando Tatis Jr. all got voted in to start in the outfield while Jackson Merrill, Heliot Ramos, and Bryan Reynolds were named reserves over Nimmo. Bryce Harper, deservingly voted in as a starter, joins Pete Alonso and reserved-named Freddie Freeman as the National League’s first baseman.

When comparing the three Mets versus each other, Nimmo leads the Mets in fWAR with Lindor closely behind. Meanwhile, Alonso checks in sixth, largely weighed down by his porous defense this season. Both Nimmo and Lindor continue their streak of not being named to an All-Star game as a Met. Lindor made four-straight All-Star appearances with Cleveland from 2016 through 2019.

The All-Star game is slated for Tuesday, July 16 at 8:00 pm ET. The game is being held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

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