Based on the optics alone, the notion of the New York Mets and slugging first baseman Pete Alonso reuniting does not appear to be the most likely of options.
Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, are reportedly still searching for the seven-year deal they were unable to find last winter, which ultimately resulted in a two-year bridge deal (plus the opt-out he took) worth $54 million to keep him in Queens.
The 30-year-old’s prospects are better than they were this time last year. He’s coming off a 38-home-run, 126-RBI campaign in which he set the Mets’ all-time home-run record, further cementing his status as one of the game’s elite sluggers.
But his defense remains shaky, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has made it clear that his offseason priority will center around run prevention. Put that alongside the fact that he was hesitant to give Alonso that long-term contract last year, and there is some faint writing on the wall.
That leaves us speculating about what first base could look like in Queens in 2026, and a few options are on the table for Stearns to consider this winter, should relations with Alonso deteriorate.
Mets 2026 1st base options not named Pete Alonso
Cody Bellinger
The 30-year-old has opted out of his contract with the Yankees to test the free-agency waters after posting an .813 OPS with 29 home runs and 98 RBI — one of his best seasons since winning the NL MVP in 2019.
His market will understandably be crowded. This is a versatile, power-hitting lefty who is capable of playing all three outfield positions as well as first base. That sort of makeup is right up Stearns’ alley, especially considering how bad things went in center field this past season.
Josh Naylor
Naylor rediscovered his power bat after being dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline, hitting nine home runs in 54 games after posting 11 in 93 with the Arizona Diamondbacks at the start of the year.
While he is nowhere near the same sort of prolific home run hitter as Alonso, there is enough pop to complement Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor in the middle of the lineup. Plus, his defense is a bit more dependable. His two outs above average (OAA) ranked in MLB’s 80th percentile in 2025.
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that re-signing Naylor is his “No. 1” priority this winter.
Munetaka Murakami
The 25-year-old Japanese star has been labeled the next big power hitter in Major League Baseball once he comes over. That’s happening this winter after his NPB club, the Yakult Swallows, posted him.
Murakami hit a league record 56 home runs back in 2022 and has been one of the more consistent sluggers since. Stearns himself went to scout him over the summer, so the interest is obvious. But there are understandable concerns. A natural third baseman, his defense is not good on either corner of the infield. He has also struggled mightily against higher-velocity pitches ranging over 93 mph and has a strikeout rate that has flirted with 30% in recent years.
Kazuma Okamoto
Murakami is getting most of the attention, but another consistent slugger is hoping to make his way from Japan to North America this winter.
Okamoto had six straight 30-home-run seasons with the Yomiuri Giants before a 27-homer campaign in 2024. Injuries limited him to 77 games in 2025. Still, this is a significantly better defender than Murakami, which aligns more closely with Stearns’ philosophy.
Mark Vientos
One year ago, many tabbed Vientos as the Mets’ next first baseman if Alonso walked in free agency. That would have poured on to the Mets’ disastrous 2025 season, as Vientos struggled to the point where yet another leadership regime lost faith in him.
Coming off a 27-home-run campaign in his first full year in the majors, Vientos batted .233 with a .702 OPS, 17 home runs, and 61 RBI. There were glimpses of the star from two years ago when he was given regular playing time, but it was not nearly consistent enough.
It appears that Vientos has lost the third-base job to Brett Baty, meaning first base could be one of his only options if things play out a certain way this winter. Still, it will be a tall order to come away with the starting job because he has an awful lot to prove to the Mets brass.
