Since being selected seventh overall in the 2008 Draft, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound lefty swinger has been the rarest of anomalies: a slap-hitting first baseman. Alonso's career slugging percentage entering this year was .387 -- the lowest number for any active first baseman with at least 500 career plate appearances -- and he's yet to reach double-digit homers in a season.
That's all in the past. Like many players, Alonso has been reborn with the fly ball. With players like Murphy attributing their breakout to the glory of loft -- and the advent of Statcast™ showing the benefits of getting the ball in the air -- Alonso has drastically changed his swing.