The 2019 season has not gone the way the Mets or their fans hoped it would.
However, one bright spot has been the play of rookie first baseman Pete Alonso.
Alonso is hitting .267/.340/.618 with 20 home runs, which has him tied with Cody Bellinger for the second-most home runs in all of MLB.
The rookie has openly stated his desire to compete in this year's Home Run Derby, and if it's up to Mets manager Mickey Callaway, Alonso will get his wish.
"I think it would be great for our organization," Callaway told Mike Francesa on his rookie first baseman taking part in this year's All-Star Weekend festivities. "I think it would be great for Alonso. It would be great for New York and great for our fans. And the kid deserves it...
"We're all on board. I think he should be in the All-Star Game first, and I think if he's in that Home Run Derby, he's going to win it."
The winner of this year's Home Run Derby will receive a cash prize of $1 million, or nearly twice the amount Alonso is receiving from his rookie salary this season.
Despite this fact, the rookie has already stated that if he were to compete in the HR Derby and win, he plans on donating a portion of the prize to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charitable organization providing programs and services for wounded veterans and active-duty service members.
"Obviously it's a big purse for the winner," Alonso said to reporters last week. "To be in that moment, to win, it would be awesome if I could just give back."
