New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso was the standard-bearer for power hitters in 2019. Can the polar bear pull off a repeat performance?
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso smacked 53 bombs last year, becoming the first rookie in MLB history to lead the majors in home runs. But the question on everyone’s mind is this: can he do it again?
DraftKings Sportsbook recently released their MLB home run leaders odds, and they like Alonso’s chances. Alonso is tied for the second-best odds with New York Yankees stud outfielder Giancarlo Stanton at +1000. The current favorites are Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo at +900 and Mike Trout +900
The players with the top 10 odds are as follows:
Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers: +900
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: +900
Pete Alonso, New York Mets: +1000
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees: +1000
Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers: +1600
Nolan Arendao, Colorado Rockies +1800
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: +1800
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies +2200
Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves: +2300
Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds: +2500
Before placing a bet, there are some things that you should know. For example, the last time a player led the majors in home runs in back-to-back years was Jose Bautista in 2010-2011.
So, while Alonso looks like a safe bet to repeat as champion, it’s actually the opposite. That’s especially true when taking into consideration the likely sophomore slump.
Pitchers possess more data on Alonso now and that means they’ll better know how to attack him. That’s likely to lead to worse numbers in year No. 2 for the polar bear. It’s exactly what happened to Bellinger after he set the National League rookie home run record in 2017.
This list includes no real safe bet. Home run numbers are unpredictable and unstable year-to-year. If you want some advice though, you’d never be wrong betting on Mike Trout.
A quick reminder that online sports betting in NY have yet to be approved by Gov. Cuomo. Recently, a lobbyist group has pushed a TV ad campaign in support of online/mobile betting in NY.
