There has been much talk on the current Houston Astros cheating scandal. A former player for the Houston Astros, Carlos Beltran, has dealt with struggles ever since. Beltran was a part of the Astros during that time before retiring after the 2017 World Series win. In the 2020 offseason, the New York Mets hired Beltran to be the team’s new manager. Due to the firing of Astros manager AJ Hinch, the Mets fired Beltran a few days later. Former Florida Gator Pete Alonso finds the events of Beltran unfortunate.
Mets New Manager
The Mets, however, found a replacement for Beltran with Luis Rojas. Rojas was part of the Mets minor league management team since 2007, showing much coaching experience. Rojas is part of a baseball family, with his father being former player Felipe Alou. He is also former All-Star Moises Alou’s half-brother.
Alonso was drafted in 2016 but did not play his MLB debut until 2019. Alonso ended his rookie year with 53 home runs, which lead the National League that season. He was an All-Star his first year into the league, ending the season with 103 runs and 120 RBI’s.
After Alonso’s NL Rookie of the Year season, he looks to take the Mets back to the playoffs. With a new coach in Rojas, Alonso sees the Mets moving in the right direction. They have not made the playoffs since 2016, losing the NL Wild Card against the San Francisco Giants. With Rojas, the Mets could gain a spot back in the playoffs, fighting for a championship.
With such a strong start, will Alonso be able to improve? Can the former Gator bring the Mets to a playoff birth?
Alonso’s second season will truly be an interesting one, where anything can happen in Major League Baseball.