David Wright was the face of the New York Mets for years and manager Mickey Callaway sees similar qualities in rookie sensation Pete Alonso.
Pete Alonso has quickly become the face of the New York Mets. The rookie first baseman’s meteoric rise to the top of baseball is one of the most exciting developments of the 2019 season.
Mets manager Mickey Callaway loves the way his first baseman is playing and he believes he’s the type of transcendent player who can carry the torch that David Wright once held.
“You can’t ever expect somebody to do what he has done this year, but I am so happy that it’s Pete Alonso, because he does everything the right way,” Callaway told Mike Francesa of WFAN. “He pumps up the crowd the right way. He plays the game the right way. He’s a great hitter. He’s turned into a really, really good first baseman … I’m so happy he’s hitting the homers, driving in the runs, being clutch. Like you said earlier, he has become the face of the franchise. He is the next David Wright. There is no doubt about it. He’s the type of person you want being that guy, because he does it all the right way.”
This is high praise for the 24-year-old, but it’s spot on. Alonso has already rocketed past Wright’s career-high 33 home runs in a season. Of course, Wright was never a home run hitter like Alonso is.
However, Wright’s career-high OPS in a season was .963 in 2007. Alonso’s OPS this season is .960.
The rookie is still a long-shot to win the National League MVP, but he’s still a part of the conversation. If not for Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, and Anthony Rendon, Alonso would have a strong case for the MVP.
Regardless, he’s a shoo-in for the NL Rookie of the Year and still has an opportunity to break the rookie home run record of New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge. With 23 games left, Alonso needs seven home runs to tie and eight to surpass Judge.
There’s no question about it: Alonso is going to be the “David Wright” of the Mets going forward.
