Sometimes we have to go against the trend. We also have to separate and balance trends within the modern game of baseball against the constraints of fantasy baseball as that is ultimately, how we are judged. If you listen to the buzz currently around the game, the RBI is dead, but that is simply doing a disservice to Pete Alonso of the New York Mets and also your fantasy team.

The objective of baseball has not changed since the 19th century; simply put you must score more runs than your opponent. When that takes place, the player responsible for driving in the run is credited with the RBI, which also happens to be one of the five fantasy baseball categories for offensive players.

 

Fantasy Baseball Player Spotlight: Pete Alonso

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let us get back to Alonso who set the single-season record for RBI by a Mets player this past weekend. Alonso is currently tied with Aaron Judge for the most RBI in the league at 128 despite hitting 21 fewer home runs entering action on Tuesday (60 to 39).

There is nothing incredibly out of the ordinary with that total, or breaking a single-season team record for that matter, but I feel that Alonso might not be getting as much credit as he deserves for his performance this season.

With a .270 batting average, Alonso is well above average this season and his mark is even more remarkable when compared to other power hitters. From an OBP perspective, Alonso has a walk rate of 9.4%, which brings his mark to .349 and he does a good job of putting the bat on the ball with a strikeout rate of just 18.7%. As far as four category contributors, although Alonso does have five stolen bases, it does not get much better than the first baseman.

The argument against RBI as a stat is that they are very team dependent, but should we hold that against Alonso? He is part of a strong lineup in New York and he has continually shown the ability to produce in the clutch and capitalize on any opportunities that come his way. There is a certain level of skill and ability that comes with that and that is not something we should underrate.

Another part of Alonso’s game that should not be overlooked is his consistency. Over the past three years, Alonso’s ISO has been between .260 and .251 and this is his second straight year with a strikeout rate under 20%.

While Alonso does have a career-high average launch angle this season, at 18.1 degrees the first baseman is not selling out for power or to hit a home run. Alonso is simply looking to make solid contact and with a 12.6% barrel rate and 45% hard-hit rate, that is undoubtedly the case.

As we also begin to look towards 2023, it is important to note that Alonso is still just getting started in his career, and entering his age 28 season, he will be heading for his prime. Another wrinkle to consider, and this will become a universal theme throughout the off-season, is that he stands to benefit from restrictions that will be placed on the shift next year.

Alonso has a rock-solid batted ball profile and regardless of what some advanced 
statistics might say, there is real value in the RBI.
 

 

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