Mets rookie Pete Alonso has taken the league by storm, won the Rookie of the Month award for April, and is on pace to hit 49 homers. And with the Home Run Derby about two months away, Alonso is all-in.
"I would love to do it," Alonso said Tuesday, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. "I think that would be fun, a real amazing thing to do, but I haven't heard anything yet. I would be honored to do it for sure."
Alonso added that "you only live once," and that he hopes somebody picks him to participate.
The 24-year-old Alonso could be on track to make the All-Star team outright, but even if he doesn't, he can still participate in the Home Run Derby without being on the All-Star Game roster.
The Derby changed its format four years ago, with a somewhat stale event getting a jolt with the rules now revolved around the rounds being timed and pitting players against one another bracket style.
New for 2019 is a $1 million prize for the winner -- something MLB hopes will entice more stars to participate.
As far as concerns over Alonso getting injured during the Derby or having it cause a slump, manager Mickey Callaway didn't seem overly worried.
"I realize that (Aaron) Judge did it one year and got off to a bad start in the second half, but I don't know about that," Callaway said, according to Puma. "I think it would be something cool for [Alonso] to experience. It's going to be hard to say you can't do it. I would say, 'Hey, give me a million dollars not do it.' I'll try to do it for a million bucks."
The last Mets player to participate in the Home Run Derby was David Wright in 2013, when Citi Field was the host. Wright also participated in 2006, becoming the first Mets player since Bobby Bonilla (1993) to enter.
The only other Mets players to participate in the Derby? Darryl Strawberry (1986 and 1990) and Howard Johnson (1989 and 1991).
Straw won in 1986, but shared that title with Wally Joyner of the Angels.
If anyone can become the second Mets player to win -- and first to win outright -- it's the Polar Bear.