Since making his debut back in 2019, Pete Alonso has been one of the best power hitters in baseball. Over his six years in the bigs, he has hit 226 homers, which is second only to Aaron Judge who has 232. Hitting home runs isn’t the only impact Alonso has made at the plate. He’s slashed .249/.339/.514 with 586 RBIs, a 134 OPS+ and a wRC+ of 131.
With those offensive numbers, Alonso hit the free agent market expecting to land a long-term contract. There were even reports saying that he and his camp were using Prince Fielders‘ contract as a framework. However, no teams are interested in giving Alonso a long-term contract. The Mets, the team he spent his entire career with, have seemingly moved on due to Alonso’s insane asking price. Thus killing any potential market he had.
Due to the limited market, the power-hitting first baseman has rethought his contract demands. He’s now more open to taking a short-term contract. A contract with a higher average annual value and potentially some opts out. These more realistic demands should have one team interested, the Seattle Mariners. Alonso and the Mariners are perfect for each other.
Why Alonso Fits the Mariners
The Mariners are one of the most confusing teams in all of baseball. You are never sure what you’re going to get out of them season after season. They can either win the AL West and make a run to the World Series. Or they could fall apart and be competing for the first overall pick. This is infuriating for anyone who’s a fan of the Mariners.
The reason for such a variety of outcomes is the way the season is built. They currently have one of the best rotations in the MLB. In 2024, the staff pitched to a 3.25 ERA, with 846 strikeouts to 165 walks, a WHIP of 0.999, and an ERA+ of 114. These numbers rank among the best in the league. However, the problem comes from their offense. The Mariners rank towards the bottom in most offense categories. The lack of offense wastes all the great performance their starters put in. What’s the point of holding a team to one or two runs if your offense doesn’t score anything?
Alonso gives the Mariners a real power threat in their lineup, something they’ve been sorely lacking. In 2024 they only hit 185 home runs and only had one batter hit over 25 homers. Having a guy like Alonso who should be able to hit 30+ homers a season for the next few seasons. This will allow the Mariners to win the low-scoring games they’ve been dropping. Getting that extra run or two will give them wins that have been losses in the past.
What His Role on the Mariners Will Be
While Alonso’s bat greatly improves the lineup, does he fit the roster that’s currently constructive? Sure signing a player like Alonso will make the team better, however, if he doesn’t fit the roster construction his impact will be much lower. Thankfully for the Mariners Alonso perfectly fits this roster. Currently, they have Luke Raley slated to be the first baseman in 2025. Someone who had similar numbers to Alonso, except Alonso has hit 12 more homers.
Now many will be quick to point out that Alonso isn’t the best defender. It’s been the main critique following him around his entire career. With the way his defense is described you’d think it doesn’t matter about the defensive position, he’ll slide into the designated hitter slot. However, if you watch Alonso play every day, those concerns are way overblown. Is he a gold glove winner or something who can win one, no. But he’s a lot better than people give him credit for. His ability to scoop balls on bad throws has prevented many errors.
Alonso will also provide protection in the Mariners lineup. He will most likely be placed in the clean-up spot in the order behind Cal Raleigh and in front of Randy Arozarena. Thus making the lineup deeper. With a hitter like Alonso in the heart of the order, it will allow guys like Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez to get better pitches to hit. Possibly proving their numbers, and making everyone around him better. If the Mariners don’t want to waste an opportunity to compete, then signing Alonso is a must.
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