Is the Playoff Pumpkin going rotten?
Does Pete Alonso have any more magical swings left to keep this magical playoff run going?
The questions will begin to be answered Friday, which could be remembered as the Polar Bear’s final plunge with the Mets and perhaps at Citi Field in a home jersey.
The Mets were drilled, 10-2, by the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLCS on Thursday, which pushes them to the brink and pushes Alonso to the precipice of free agency, where there is no guarantee that one of the faces of the club for the past six years returns.
If this is how Alonso goes out, there would be regrets.
The big slugger went 1-for-4 with a garbage-time single, two strikeouts and a walk Thursday, now 2-for-15 with six strikeouts in the NLCS.
The Mets’ offense has gone cold, shut out in two games before managing just a pair of runs Thursday, and Alonso has not been able to shoulder the load.
If this is how Alonso goes out, he is insisting he is not thinking about the stakes and the offseason.
“Absolutely not,” Alonso said, asked if he has considered that Friday could be his last game as a Met. “I think for me, I’m just so focused on trying to win for these guys. This group is really special. It’s been an absolute blast this year. We’ve accomplished a lot.
“This is going to be an incredible challenge. I’m really excited to go into battle tomorrow with the guys in this clubhouse.”
Alonso already seemed to be on the verge of exiting the Mets unceremoniously once when he rescued the club from the edge.
His go-ahead, three-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 in Milwaukee became the largest swing of his career (so far) and one of the biggest in Mets history, reviving a season that appeared dead.
Alonso was solid in the NLDS victory against the Phillies, when he launched a pair of home runs, but the Dodgers have thrown an assortment of pitchers at him, Alonso rarely looking comfortable.
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“The past two days, obviously, result-wise, frustrating,” Alonso said of the team-wide attack. “…We’ve had a lot of guys on base and didn’t necessarily cash in, but that’s in the past and we need to move forward.”
There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding what awaits the homegrown and beloved Met.
He has been one of the best home runs hitters in baseball since arriving in 2019, has gone to four All-Star Games and won two Home Run Derbies.
But he will be 30 in December and coming off a regular season in which he played all 162 games but posted a career-worst .788 OPS.
There are concerns how first basemen, rarely the most athletic on the field, will age.
There are baseball and non-baseball reasons for the Mets to attempt to bring Alonso back.
His 226 career home runs place him third all time on the franchise’s list, and a long-term deal would allow him a chance to become an all-time Met with all-time records.
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The rise of Mark Vientos could give the Mets second thoughts, though, with a power-hitting threat without great mobility at third able to flip positions and play first base at a fraction of the price.
In that scenario, the Mets would need a third baseman.
If Alonso wants to postpone further talks about his future and where he might fit, a big game Friday could ensure he plays at least one more game as a Met.
“This has been really fun,” Alonso said of the 2024 Mets, “but we intend to keep putting our best foot forward and keep rising to the challenge.”
