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The New York Mets haven't had a steady first baseman for most of the 2018 season. Adrian Gonzales started out as the Mets first baseman in 2018, but they decided to release him early in the season.
Wilmer Flores and Jose Bautista have been taking turns playing first base as well. Whenever Jay Bruce comes back, he might get some looks at first base. With the 2018 season almost over, who will the New York Mets starting first baseman be in 2019?
Flores will go back to third base to start the 2019 season, Bautista will not be under contract, and Bruce could be either traded or be the starting right fielder in 2019. It will come down to either Dominic Smith or Peter Alonso.
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At one point in time, Dominic Smith was once the second-best prospect in the New York Mets farm system. Smith is 23 years old and he was a first-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. He hasn't panned out so far. Smith has played in 28 games so this season in the MLB and his batting average is .183 with one home run and one RBI. Dominic Smith's on-base percentage is .216.
In his MLB career so far, he has played in 77 games and has a .193 batting average with one home run and 10 RBI's. His on-base percentage is .249.
In 78 games with the Las Vegas 51s, Smith's batting average is .255 with six home runs and 38 RBI's, along with two stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .330.
Peter Alonso is currently the second best prospect in the New York Mets farm system and he is the 63rd best prospect in all of baseball.
Alonso started the season in Double-A with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He played 65 games down there. Peter Alonso was then called up to Triple-A. He has played 53 games down there.
His batting average in the minors this season is .277 with 30 home runs and 107 RBI's. Peter Alonso's on-base percentage is .394.
Alonso had played fewer games in Triple-A than Smith has and Alonso's numbers are way better. In 53 games with them, Alonso has a .236 batting average with 15 home runs and 55 RBI's. His on-base percentage is .342.
Peter Alonso has outplayed Dominic Smith in Triple-A this season, but the Mets recently called up Smith. Alonso is not on the Mets 40-man roster, but Smith is.
Peter Alonso is 23 years old and he was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft. Alonso has progressed through the minors quickly.
The Mets also messed up Smith in ways, but Smith was sent back down for a reason and he didn't dominate. Because of Alonso's recent success in the minors, he is going to get a September call up most likely and he is ready to be in the majors, even though Peter Alonso isn't projected to reach the majors until 2019.
Heading into 2019, Dominic Smith will probably be first on the depth chart heading into spring training because he was a first-round pick and the New York Mets have high hopes for him. Smith supposedly has this fantastic defensive ability, but where is it?
Peter Alonso's will outplay him in spring training at the dish and in the field and be the Mets starting first baseman in 2019.
