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General | Press Release | 11/12/2019

Alonso voted NL's top rookie

Jeff Dahn

Photo: Pete Alonso (Perfect Game)

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – After watching top 2013 Florida corner-infield prospect Pete Alonso perform at the 2012 Perfect Game National Showcase in Minneapolis, PG scouts left the now demolished Metrodome impressed with what they had seen.

The scouting department gave the budding young star a 10.0 grade, the highest attainable. In the written report, it was noted that Alonso had a “well-proportioned athletic build, very strong.” It also mentioned his “straight stance, long and strong swing” and noted that Alonso “has the strength to hit the ball out of the park to all fields.”

Yes, the Florida commit was hammering balls out of big league parks as a 17-year-old. He continued to apply the hammer during his three seasons in Gainesville and the following three seasons in the minors.

And when the New York Mets – who selected him in the second round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Florida – decided to make the rookie their Opening Day starter at first base back on March 28, he seized the opportunity.

The 24-year-old Alonso (he’ll turn 25 in early December) delivered a rookie season that rewrote the Mets’ and MLB’s record books, and on Monday was selected as the National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year in voting done by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). He was a near-unanimous choice, receiving 29 of the 30 first-place votes.

Alonso, a Tampa native and a graduate of Florida baseball powerhouse H.B. Plant High School, becomes the ninth player with a Perfect Game history to be named the NL ROY (see list below).

The impact he had on the Mets in 2019 was immediate. Alonso became the first player since 1900 to collect 11 extra-base hits in his first 10 big-league games and he batted .292 with nine home runs, eight doubles, one triple and 26 RBI in the month of April.

He finished the season with 53 home runs, becoming the first rookie ever to lead the major leagues outright. Alonso slashed .260/.358/,583 (.941 OPS) with 30 doubles and two triples to go with all those homers, playing in 161 games; he became a first-time NL All-Star in July.

Alonso was rostered at 10 PG events from 2009-12, including that appearance at the PG National Showcase in 2012. He was included on the Top Prospect List at the 2011 Southeast Top Prospect Showcase and was named all-tournament at both the 2012 PG WWBA 17u National Championship and the 2012 PG WWBA World Championship.

Alonso started his high school career at Tampa Jesuit but transferred to Plant for his senior year, where he played for head coach Dennis Braun. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, former big-leaguers John Hudek, Corey Brown and John Ramos, and active players Mychal Givens, Preston Tucker and Kyle Tucker are all Plant HS graduates.

Givens was a PG All-American and the Jackie Robinson PG High School Player of the Year in 2008 and is currently a right-handed relief pitcher for the Orioles. Preston Tucker, an outfielder, spent time in the big leagues with the Astros, Braves and Reds, and played in Japan this past season.

Kyle Tucker, a 2014 PG All-American outfielder/first baseman and Preston’s younger brother, played in 50 games for the Astros over the last two seasons.

PG National League ROY Winners:

2008:    Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs

2009:    Chris Coghlan, Florida Marlins

2010:    Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

2012:    Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

2013:    Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins

2015:    Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

2016:    Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers

2017:    Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

2019:    Pete Alonso, New York Mets

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