Despite leading the minor leagues in home runs and RBIs, Peter Alonso didn’t get a callup in September. Instead, Dominic Smith and Jay Bruce got most of the first base reps down the stretch, as Alonso got set to go to the AFL. Predictably, this sent Met fans into a tizzy, prompting many arguments about whether this was the correct move or not.
At its core, the debate here is straightforward. By not calling up Alonso and holding him down for a few weeks in 2019, the Mets will retain control over his age-31 season. More team control is never a bad thing, but it comes at a cost - namely, a lack of data on the viability of Alonso as the starting 1B in 2019.