The Juan Soto Effect on Pete Alonso

Aaron Judge won his second Most Valuable Player Award in 2024, leading all of Major League Baseball in numerous offensive categories. Some of the credit for his monster season goes to Juan Soto, who would hit in front of Judge for most of the campaign. While there is no doubt that Judge will one day go to the Hall of Fame, there is nothing wrong to have some help, as Soto provided last year. One year later, and in a different borough, Soto is helping out another slugger.

Pete Alonso is experiencing a rebirth, thanks to Juan Soto.

To be fair, as in Judge’s case, Alonso has had great years prior to Soto arriving. After all, he ranks third on the all time New York Mets’ home run list, potentially being the leader at season’s end. However, there was also a dip in production over the last three years going from 46 home runs in 2022 to 34 in 2024. Solid numbers but the sense was that at age 30, more regression could follow.

Not in 2025.

Alonso is hitting .378 and leads the National League in home runs and slugging. This is the Soto effect of hitting in front of him. Soto puts so much pressure on opposing pitchers that it seems as though they are exhausted when it is time to face the next hitter. When Soto reaches base, the pitcher tries to pitch too carefully to Alonso in order to minimize the chance of a big inning. Take last night’s game against the A’s as an example. In the top of the fifth inning, JP Sears had Soto down in the count 0-2. After a couple of foul balls and pitches out of the strike zone, the count went to 3-2. Soto then laced a single, bringing up Alonso. On the eighth pitch, Alonso cracked a run scoring double. He then provided the difference in the Mets’ 7-6 victory with a solo home run in the eighth inning. Even when Soto does not reach base, Alonso’s at bats seem to be easier.

Pete Alonso may very well opt out of the final year of his contract and try to secure the long term deal he did not get this past offseason. That’s a story for November and beyond. Like his effect on the Yankees last year, Juan Soto is doing his job this year: making the Mets’ lineup more dangerous.