Pete Alonsoâs Orioles tenure is off to a surprisingly rocky start.
The slugging first basemen went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Fridayâs 6-3 loss to the Giants, dropping his slash line to .176/.263/.275 after 57 plate appearances.
Those numbers arenât sitting well with the 31-year-old, who signed a five-year, $155 million contract with Baltimore in December.
âThis is not my standard,â Alonso said, via MLB.com. âResults-wise, yeah, itâs unacceptable for me, and I will be better. ⦠I feel bad. A lot of people believe in me, and I believe in myself, but Iâm not delivering results. I will. I just havenât. But I will.â
Alonso Holds Mets Home Run Record
Alonso has been one of the most consistent home run hitters in baseball since debuting with the Mets in 2019. The five-time All-Star has at least 34 homers in every season, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, and holds the Mets franchise record with 264 career longballs.
Last season, his final in New York, Alonso had one of his best all-around seasons, hitting a career-high .272 with 38 homers 126 RBI.
That prolific power, however, hasnât translated to Baltimore, as Alonso has gone deep just once â March 31 against Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom â over his first 13 games with his new team.
Orioles Off to Slow Start
Alonsoâs struggles have contributed to Baltimoreâs slow start. The Orioles are 6-7 heading into Saturdayâs game against the Giants, averaging just 3.7 runs per game (24th in MLB). Their nine home runs are tied for third-fewest in the majors.
Itâs not what Baltimore had in mind coming off a disappointing 75-87 campaign.
âIâm here to win. And I expect more out of myself, and I know other people do as well,â Alonso said. âThe best is obviously yet to come. ⦠I will be better.â
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson has easily been the Oriolesâ most productive hitter with five homers, 11 RBI and a .245/.344/.585 slash line through 53 at-bats.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Orioles Pete Alonso Shares Blunt Message on ‘Unacceptable’ Start appeared first on Heavy Sports.