New York Yankees Interested in Former Florida Gators Pete Alonso

The former Florida Gators first baseman could be staying in New York but heading up to the Bronx

Former Florida Gator Pete Alonso could be switching pinstripes / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are looking into a Florida Gators baseball great to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had reportedly spoken to Alonso's agent, Scott Boras. Cashman spoke highly of the former Gator during the GM Meetings on Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of high-quality players in this marketplace,” he said. “Certainly Pete did an amazing job with the [New York] Mets.” 

Alonso had a down year in a free-agent season. However, his numbers are still respectable and the upside is still seen to outweigh that by contenders.

In 2024, Alonso slashed .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs in a full 162 games with the Mets. It was his first time playing every game in a season - though, to his credit, he's never played fewer than 152 games outside of the COVID-shortened season. The Yankees could get a guy who shows up virtually every day to play.

Alonso also had some clutch playoff moments for the Mets that the Yankees would like to see happen in pinstripes - well, Yankee pinstripes in this case. In 13 postseason games, Alonso slashed .273/.431/.568 with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

His highlight was the go-ahead blast in the decsive Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. In the top of the ninth, facing elimination, Alonso hit a three-run shot, flipping a 2-0 Milwaukee Brewers lead into what eventually became a 4-2 Mets win and series clinch.

Meanwhile, Rizzo flopped on the biggest stage for the Yankees. In the World Series, he slashed .125/.363/.125 with no home runs or RBIs. The Yankees lost the World Series to the Dodgers in five games - four of the games were decided by three runs or fewer.

A clutch first baseman could have made the difference - or at least made it more of a series.

Depending on how this offseason pans out, Florida Gators fans might be more inclined to see how things are looking in the Bronx.

Alonso played 101 games over two and change seasons with the Gators - he ony played two games in year three. He slashed .316/.407/.517 with 23 home runs and 124 RBIs. He was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

Alonso has since emerged as one of the top Florida Gators Baseball alumni of all time. In six seasons, he has 226 home runs and 586 RBIs. He won the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, is a four-time all-star, two-time Home Run Derby Champion and has received MVP votes in three separate seasons.