Amazin’ rookie first baseman Pete Alonso takes a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What is your mentality in the batter’s box?
A: I’m a big, strong guy … whether it’s two strikes or not. I want to feel dangerous no matter what. Like whether it be shooting a ball the other way, if I get it right it’s gonna go or carry on to the gap, or if I miss it a little underneath, it may ride out of the ballpark. I feel like I have a pretty good hit tool, and I’m blessed with strength and power, and combining strength in a good hit tool, sometimes those line drives carry on over the fence.
Q: Describe what it is like feeling dangerous at the plate.
A: That comes from watching video on the pitcher, kind of coming up with your own plan and being confident in it. And then also it’s how you feel in the box, having your footing, having your swing feel right … getting your swing right and having confidence in your approach takes a lot of work. It’s daily maintenance, and to stay dangerous, I mean, it’s hard because the game of baseball’s a game of failure, and in order to keep honing your skill and staying on top, it’s endless work.
Q: There can’t be a better feeling than feeling dangerous, am I right?
A: Oh, no. That’s when you feel locked in. Not just on pitches that you can handle, but it’s like you spitting on pitches that are good pitches, and are balls. Or like there are pitches that you don’t want to hit, you’re being able to recognize those pitches. That’s the goal, is to make the best swing decisions possible, stay locked in on my zone and don’t give in. Being dangerous isn’t necessarily feeling like you’re gonna hit a home run every time. It feels like you’re not giving in to the pitcher, and you can hurt them by, let’s say, drawing a walk, or hit a line drive the other way to move a runner for a single and it’s now first and third, or hitting a ball in the gap. When you feel dangerous, I feel it’s in all facets on offense, because there’s more than one way to kind of beat the pitcher.
Q: Do you aspire to be feared at the plate?
A: I think that’s kind of described as like box presence, or mound presence — it can be the same way as like for pitchers. Not necessarily feared, but I feel like respected, because that’s when you have to make the pitcher think. That’s definitely an aspiration.
Q: What is your favorite all-time home run?
A: That’s a good one. I think my favorite one, it’s probably the one I hit in the Fall-Star game out in Arizona this fall, because there’s a guy by the name of Nate Pearson, and I think the pitch was 103 [mph], and I hit it over the fence, and I think in the Statcast era, that was the second-fastest pitch ever recorded, and it was hit for a home run. I think that one was pretty cool.
Q: What’s the longest home run you’ve hit?
A: I hit one over the scoreboard in a game when I was in High-A in St. Lucie, and that one was absolutely demolished. I hit another one that went up top of the hockey stadium in Erie [Pa.] that was a bomb. But I still think maybe the farthest was the walk-off home run I hit to end the Vegas season when I was in Triple-A.
Q: To become an Aaron Judge, let’s say, where do you have to improve at the plate?
A: It’s honestly just plate discipline and capitalizing on the pitches that are in my zone. And not trying to do too much at the plate. Just be myself and stay within my zone, that’s pretty much it.
Q: Is the success of a big guy like Judge in New York an inspiration for you?
A: Yeah, it’s an inspiration for me, but even though me and him are strong dudes, I still think of myself as a little bit different. His swing mechanics are a little bit different, I’m 6-3 and he’s like I think 6-7 … different body types, different positions. If I had to compare myself to someone similar, it’d either be like Rhys Hoskins or Paul Goldschmidt. The past two offseasons I’ve watched Paul Goldschmidt’s highlight videos. He’s one of the guys who I try and be like.
Q: Who is one pitcher in MLB history you would have loved to test your skills against?
A: Probably Nolan Ryan. He’s one of the best pitchers of all time. … Or how ’bout this, what about Cy Young? I mean, there’s an award named after him. That’d be kind of fun.
Q: Who is one first baseman in MLB history whose brain you would love to have picked.?
A: Lou Gehrig. He’s The Iron Horse. He stayed on the field — obviously his record was broken by Cal Ripken [Jr.] — but he stayed on the field for that long for a reason, maybe because he was not only just an absolute stud at the plate, but had to play well defensively, too. The mindset he had for, like, durability, ’cause clearly he was built to last and one of the best to ever do it. He’s one of those guys that’s probably on Mount Rushmore of the game of baseball … almost like a baseball god, you know?
Q: What drives you?
A: Just my passion. I mean, I love this game. There’s a lot of times where … I almost feel like a fan. But I’m lucky enough to play this game. I want to be known as a winner, I want to be known as a guy that can help a team win. I just love to compete. I think it’s the best game in the world.
Q: Whatever comes to mind: Robinson Cano.
A: Makes everything look so easy. Smooth, silky. Also great teammate, great guy.
Q: Brandon Nimmo.
A: He’s such a happy dude. He’s one of the guys that I like talking to.
Q: Michael Conforto.
A: He’s kind of one of the younger guys in the clubhouse that I kind of lean on. I can see him forming into like a David Wright-type of leader.
Q: David Wright.
A: The Captain.
Q: Jose Reyes.
A: Nice story about Jose Reyes — I never got a chance to play with Jose, I don’t necessarily know him that well — I had a seventh-grade biography that I had to do about a famous Latin American, and I did it on Jose Reyes.
Q: Jacob deGrom.
A: Dominant. He’s also a leader in the clubhouse. Playing behind him is awesome. He’s a grinder and he takes things into his own hands. If there’s guys on base, he steps up even more. And when the pressure’s on, that’s why he’s so good, because he rises to the occasion.
Q: Do you like pressure?
A: Love it. Because I feel like performing under pressure, that’s the separator in a lot of things. And when there’s pressure and being able to perform under high stakes, that’s the ultimate. Let’s say all the winners and the champions, they all have to go through adversities in order to win and kind of break through to the other side … you gotta slay the dragon. You gotta conquer the challenges.
Q: Noah Syndergaard.
A: Noah’s a good guy. He’s kind of a hard egg to crack, but once you kind of get past the surface, he’s funny, he’s sarcastic.
Q: Who are your boyhood idols?
A: Mike Piazza, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds. … Guys absolutely dominant on the baseball field.
Q: No singles hitters, I notice.
A: No singles hitters, that’s for sure.
Q: What did you like about Piazza?
A: Back in the day, I used to catch, and also Mike had like an unbelievable swing, just absolutely punished baseballs. I think he carried himself the right way throughout his entire career, be a true professional, and I think he’s a really good representative of the New York Mets. I mean, what a guy, you know? Hall of Famer. Unbelievable role model, unbelievable player.
Q: What are the biggest obstacles you had to overcome?
A: Having confidence in myself defensively. I had a really bad year, 2017. I can’t really give you a reason why. I kind of view it as a defensive slump. Pretty much the hardest obstacle was kind of redefining or recreating my defensive game. … I know I can be a good first baseman.
Q: Hobbies?
A: I love to fish, love spending time on the boat, love to cook. I love to shoot my bow. I love spending time outdoors.
Q: Superstitions?
A: Let’s say if I went 4-for-4 and three home runs and a double or something like that, I’ll have the same meal as I did the day before.
Q: How do you feel about being on the big New York stage?
A: Well, there’s a saying, I mean it’s really cliche, but you make it in New York you can make it anywhere. Life is kind of funny, it comes full circle. My grandpa, this is on my dad’s side, he met my grandma in New York, I think on Wall Street, he was a grad student at NYU, she was a receptionist at his building, and then she would write his papers because my grandpa didn’t know how to type. And then my dad was born in Queens. So it’s like my grandpa was a huge Brooklyn Dodger fan, raised his family in Queens for a little bit, but then later on he moved to Ohio. But he’s a New Yorker through and through, and my grandma’s family came through Ellis Island.
Q: Describe Mets fans.
A: The louder they get, the better we’ll play.
Q: Favorite New York City things?
A: Oh, the food, 100 percent. The cool thing about New York is that you can get cuisines all over the world and the best quality.
Q: When you played in Brooklyn, did you have a Nathan’s hot dog?
A: No, I never had a Nathan’s hot dog.
Q: Did you go to Coney Island?
A: Yeah, we walked around a little bit, but I didn’t want to ride the Cyclone, it looked a little scary.
Q: Where is the ball from your first hit?
A: It’s in a top-secret location right now.
Q: What are your personal goals?
A: The only thing I really want to do is just play with my heart on my sleeve every single day, and try to help this team win. I want to win a championship. I’m here, and I want to do whatever job they need me to do.
Q: Career goals?
A: I want to be remembered as a guy who as soon as he steps between those white lines, his love for the game just exuberates and makes other people love the game that much more. I want to be known as a good teammate and a winner and a champion. I just want to be known as a guy who is a good example for other people when they play the game of baseball.
Q: Tell me why you believe you will be a success.
A: I’m only 24, but I know I’m not gonna be playing Major League Baseball when I’m 60, you know? Most people in their careers, they retire like around 60, 65, you know? And I’m gonna play baseball as long as I’m physically able to, and my window and amount of time is shorter, and I want to shoot all the bullets in the clip, so to speak. Like I want to give every shot I have, and I don’t want to waste any opportunity that I have in this short window I have to be great. I want to be the best I can every single day, and I don’t want to leave anything to chance, I want to do everything I can every single day.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Jimi Hendrix, [former NHL player] Derek Sanderson, Winston Churchill.
Q: Why Derek Sanderson?
A: ’Cause he’s a badass.
Q: How was he a badass?
A: He didn’t take any crap from anybody on the ice, and he played hard and he played well.
Q: Is Pete Alonso a badass?
A: I’m gonna let the people have that opinion.
Q: You hope they say that about you?
A: I hope so.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Saving Private Ryan.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Will Ferrell.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Reese Witherspooon.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Led Zeppelin.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Any sort of steak, that can include like wild game like bison or elk or just regular beef. Any sort of red meat.
Q: How good can this Mets team be?
A: I think we got potential to win a World Series. We have so many awesome pieces. I think if we’re hitting on all cylinders, we’re gonna be scary.