Sal calls out Pete Alonso for continuing to slump when Mets need him

Pete Alonso went hitless for the third straight game on Tuesday night, finishing 0-for-3 with a strikeout in a loss to the Blue Jays that dropped New York back into a tie with the Braves for the final Wild Card spot.

Alonso is in another rough stretch, batting .177 with a .660 OPS in his last 17 games, and as other bats in the lineup have cooled off of late, Sal Licata is once again wondering why the Mets slugger is still nowhere to be found.

“At what point is Pete Alonso actually going to get a big hit?” Sal said. “All I’ve heard all year long is ‘Pete has got it in him, he can turn it on at any point.’ Well guess what? I’m watching, and do you know what I see? Alonso is getting worse at the end of the season.

“Can Pete Alonso get a big hit? We’re waiting for it...there’s 17 games to go. At some point, its Pete Alonso going to turn it on and act like a $200 million player in his walk year?”

Alonso holds a .789 OPS on the season with 31 home runs, a solid campaign overall, but not for a premier power hitter who is hoping for a big payday in free agency this winter. Sal hasn’t seen Alonso come up clutch for the Mets in 2024, and time is running out for his season to not be a major disappointment.

“The pressure should be off. He’s already botched his contract at this point. It’s over,” Sal said.

“Alonso is the problem. He’s been the problem here...they just needed at least a few-week stretch.”