May 27, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: New York Mets at Colorado Rockies
(New York, NY) – With the MLB season officially on pause amid the All Star break, the New York Mets are hoping for a turnaround in the second half.
Despite entering the season with dreams of making a pennant run, the club has been mired in mediocrity, and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today.
The season’s first half also presented a mixed bag for slugging first baseman Pete Alonso.
Alonso’s power numbers are typically impressive, with 26 long balls and 61 RBI. But his batting average is an unsightly .211 – which is 43 points below his career mark of .254. And yet, Alonso could be forgiven for thinking he deserves better. According to a stat known as Expected Batting Average, his mark should be higher.
Expected Batting Average, or xBA, is an advanced stat metric included in MLB’s Statcast rankings. It measures things like exit velocity, launch angle, and even a runner’s sprint speed, in order to determine the likelihood of a batted ball becoming a hit. For Alonso, his “expected” batting average is significantly higher than the real mark.
While he’s batting .211 on the year, Alonso’s expected batting average is .256 – which happens to more or less represent the difference between what he’s done this year, and his career batting average. His spread between his BA and xBA is also the league’s third-highest, among batters who qualify.
Alonso spoke to the New York Daily News ahead of last week’s series with the Diamondbacks.
“It’s not like I need an overhaul. There are certain little things that I can get better at, but also I need some of the balls I hit hard to start falling as well. There’s a mix of trying to get better and trying to capitalize on certain opportunities. I think the law of averages will take care of it, but I think I’ve got to keep finding ways to hit more consistently.”
“If I keep hitting more and more balls hard, it’s going to find grass. And if I lay off some tough pitches, I’ll draw more walks and that will be equally as productive as a single. I’m going to let a 162-game season run its course and I’ll do the best I can to keep making adjustments along the way and be the best I can be every single day.”
Perhaps, based on the expected batting average metric, Alonso can hope for a better second half in terms of batting average. The Mets would take that in a heartbeat, if it helps increase their winning percentage.
