Not to be hyperbolic, but the Mets could be on the verge of history. According to MLB Network’s Sarah Langs, the Mets have never had three players hit 30 or more home runs in a season, but three hitters are projected to hit 30 dingers in 2025: Juan Soto (35), Mark Vientos (33) and Pete Alonso (36).
This illustrates the impact of Alonso’s return. Realistically, the Mets could be looking at four 30-homer hitters with the potential for five. Francisco Lindor is coming off back-to-back seasons of 30 or more, and if Brandon Nimmo taps into the power he did two years ago, he could reach the same peak, or at least come close to it.
Currently, Lindor is projected to hit 28 and Nimmo only 18, but the Mets weren’t even projected to make the playoffs last year and they came within two games of reaching the World Series. The 2024 team prided itself on defying the odds and shocking the baseball world. The Mets are getting the band back together with the free agent signings of Alonso, Sean Manaea, Ryne Stanek and Jesse Winker (though sadly, they’re missing the singer of the band with infielder Jose Iglesias, aka “Candelita,” still on the market), so there may be more shock and awe in store for 2025.
Alonso is set to return on a two-year $54 million pact with an opt-out after 2025, pending a physical. His return brings more thump to a lineup, better positioning the Mets to compete with the heavy-hitting NL East teams in Philadelphia and Atlanta, and potentially formidable enough to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason.
The two teams that hit the most regular-season home runs in their respective leagues went on to reach the World Series. This isn’t uncommon in today’s game, despite the expanded playoffs offering more opportunities for teams to reach the playoffs. The Mets slugged the sixth-most last season and the fourth-most in the NL with 207. The long ball aided them significantly in the playoffs, with Alonso’s historic homer in Milwaukee sending the Mets to the NLDS, and Lindor’s grand slam against the Phillies sending them to the NLCS. Vientos came through with three in the NLCS against the Dodgers, showing he can handle the pressure of the playoffs.
So if that’s the case, who would provide the best protection for Soto in the lineup? There is certainly an argument to be made for Vientos, who should be more comfortable than ever heading into the season. Finally, Vientos knows his spot on the team is solid and he won’t have to work out all over the diamond. The Mets and Vientos both can rest easy knowing he’ll man third base and continue to grow at the hot corner.
Alonso has more plate appearances in the cleanup spot than anywhere else and their on-base numbers are comparable. And then there’s Nimmo, who hit leadoff until the Mets switched him and Lindor last season and the lineup started to surge. The Mets might have to move him down in the order and consider hitting him fifth. Even if that’s the case, it’s still a pretty formidable top five.
From there, the Mets could slot in power-hitting catcher Francisco Alvarez at No. 6, platoon DHs Jesse Winker and Starling Marte in the seventh spot, and outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri in the eighth spot. Jeff McNeil, who can hit up and down the lineup, slots in at No. 9.
The Mets are significantly more powerful with Alonso. He deepens the lineup and should see more strikes hitting behind Soto. With so much unknown when it comes to Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, the Mets badly needed a heavy hitter to complement Soto and to stack up better against the NL’s top teams, especially
The team that drafted and developed Alonso still needs him. It might not have been an easy negotiation for either party, but both parties seemingly got what they needed.