So much for the Home Run Derby ruining Pete Alonso's swing.
The Derby victory in 2019 didn't affect Alonso's stroke, and his latest win in 2021 didn't seem to do much harm either. In fact, if anything, it had the opposite effect, as Alonso went deep twice in Friday night's 3-0 win over Toronto, making it four homers in seven games since returning from the All-Star break.
"I feel really good at the plate right now," Alonso said. "I've had some really good stretches, but I want to keep getting better and better, and as games get more meaningful, I want to be able to keep hitting my stride and keep getting better and taking my performance to a new level night in and night out."
Since coming back from the break, Alonso is hitting .367 with a 1.241 OPS in 34 plate appearances, striking out just five times compared to four walks. He has been the face of New York's recent home run surge, a welcomed sight after the team was near the bottom of the league in long balls through the first half of the season. Alonso doesn't necessarily notice a mechanical difference at the plate in recent games, but has begun consistently capitalizing on mistakes and pitches over the plate, much like he did in his historic rookie season two years ago.
"I think my approach has been really consistent," Alonso said. "I just think as the season has gone on, I've capitalized on pitches in the zone. For me, it's not necessarily a sprint. We still have a lot of baseball left this year. I always want to peak at the end of the season and really perform when it matters."
Alonso's strong stretch at the plate dates back even further beyond the All-Star break. Over his last 27 games, dating back to June 21, he is batting .297 with a .994 OPS over 111 plate appearances, and half of his home runs so far this season have come in that time. After a lackluster 2020, Alonso is starting to look like his rookie self, which would be a massive boost for a Mets offense that was lacking in the power department for much of the season, and will need all the run support it can get in the short term with the pitching staff still ravaged by injury.
"With every game that passes, I want to be able to elevate myself so I can be the best version of myself so I can help my team win and be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish, which is to win a championship," Alonso said.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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