Mets Make a Decision on Lineup Changes Amid Pete Alonso's Struggles

With Pete Alonso struggling, the New York Mets have decided to tweak their lineup a bit.

Aug 4, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) walks against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets' lineup will look a bit different as a result of continued struggles from one of their star sluggers.

For the first time since 2020, first baseman Pete Alonso will hit below the cleanup spot, as manager Carlos Mendoza has him penciled in the No. 5 hole in the Mets' one-off makeup game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Monday.

But that's not the only tweak the Mets have made. Beyond Francisco Lindor batting leadoff, which has been the norm since late-May, the two through seven spots in the order will feature: Tyrone Taylor, Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Martinez, Alonso, Jose Iglesias and Jeff McNeil.

The Mets have endured extended woes when hitting with runners in scoring position as of late. Since mid-July, only the lowly Chicago White Sox, who are 60 games under .500 at 27-87 (MLB's worst record), have produced worse numbers in these situations.

On Sunday, the Mets dropped two out of three in a series against the 49-63 Los Angeles Angels, which saw them fall to 1.5 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot. In their latest loss, the Mets went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Alonso went 0-for-3 in these chances, grounding out twice, one of which was a double play, and then popping out in the fifth inning.

On the season, Alonso is slashing just .198/.331/.359 with a .690 OPS and four home runs with RISP. This differs from his slash line from a season ago with RISP: .257/.377/.541. He has never hit below .234 in said instances in a campaign, which was the worst mark of his career at the time in a Covid-shortened 60-game 2020 season.

Here are how Alonso's RISP numbers have looked prior to this season:

2023: .257/.377/.541
2022: .300/.424/.675
2021: .252/.355/.469
2020: .234/.375/.516
2019: .246/.361/.585

In what is a walk-year for Alonso, the 29-year-old has 23 homers and a .790 OPS (.858 career OPS). These are well below his typical paces, and the Mets are hoping that this lineup tweak can get him, as well as the rest of their offense, out of this current rut.

Mendoza downplayed the change during his pregame press conference on Monday, explaining that this decision was motivated by the pitching matchup against right-hander Andre Pallante.

"I just wanted to see what it looks like in a game like today. I don't know that this will go consistently, maybe tomorrow we're facing a lefty and Pete's back in the four-hole," Mendoza told reporters.