The Mets selected former Florida Gators infielder Peter Alonso with the 64th pick in the Major League Baseball draft. The University of Florida standout loved his time at the college level, but he admits that playing professionally has its advantages.
“It’s kinda cool getting paid for playing a game,” Alonso said.
The Cyclones first baseman — who joined the Brooklyn roster last week — collected his first career hit on July 9 at MCU Park. In his first three games as a pro, Alonso connected on three hits, including a pair of doubles. He also drove in a run.
“It was just really exciting to get my first pro hit,” said Alonso, who kept the ball after he notched the hit.
Alonso came in to the New York–Penn League season later than his teammates, busy playing in the College World Series, but his on-field reputation loomed large in Brooklyn before he took the field.
The lefty-hitting, righty-fielding Alonso made a name for himself playing for the Gators, consistently connecting on big-time hits in his three seasons in sunny Florida. He hit 12 home runs and drove in 55 runs in just 53 games this spring.
Alonso suffered a fractured hand after being hit by a 95-mile-per-hour fastball from Vanderbilt ace Jordan Sheffield on May 13 — which kept him out for three weeks — but he thrived when he returned to the game. Alonso hit .520 with four home runs, four doubles, and drove in 11 of the Gators’ 37 runs during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament — the first six games after he returned.
“He’s a gamer,” Cyclones manager Tom Gamboa said. “We saw that (on July 8) just in his practice habits. Sometimes you pre-judge, people will look at him, as big as he is, and assume, ‘Oh, this is a designated hitter or ditch him at first base,’ but you could see his athleticism today in his first pro game.”
Gamboa was impressed by the 3–6–1 double play Alonso started on July 10, as well as his double to deep left the same night.
Alonso had an edge before he even put on a Clones jersey, however, thanks to former Gator and 2015 Cyclone pitcher Johnny Magliozzi. The two talked about playing under Gamboa and what the long-time skipper expected of Alonso.
“(Magliozi) said that I’ll love him,” Alonso said. “Just play hard and I guess he’ll like me. I’m going to do that, give 100-percent effort every game, every play, every pitch. That’s just my style, that’s just how I play.”
Alonso is also enjoying playing at MCU Park, a stadium unlike any other in the New York–Penn League. So far, being a professional baseball player is more fun than Alonso ever expected.
“They had in-game fireworks, which is pretty unique with the park over there, and the smoke blowing on the field,” Alonso said. “I thought that was definitely unique. I had never seen that before. That was pretty fun. It’s a great atmosphere, and I’m extremely happy to be here.
