Pete Alonso vows improvement despite Orioles hitting slump
BALTIMORE — When Pete Alonso steps into the batter’s box, it carries a weight of expectation. Through the first 13 games of his Orioles career, Pete Alonso hasn’t looked like the slugger Baltimore signed on a five-year, $155 million deal. The 31-year-old has not been producing from the heart of the lineup, and his start has left fans waiting for the kind of impact that once defined him. He knows exactly where he stands, and he’s not trying to dress it up.
“Yeah, it stinks, first couple weeks, not performing up to my standards,” Alonso said after going 0-for-3 with a walk in the O’s series-opening 6-3 loss to the Giants at Camden Yards on Friday. “You can work hard, you can try, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to win. And I expect more out of myself, and I know other people do as well. So it’s frustrating.”
Since knocking a single in a series-closing 8-3 win over Texas on April 1, Alonso has gone 3-for-32 (.094) over his past eight games. “This is not my standard. Results-wise, yeah, it’s unacceptable for me, and I will be better. I know that. But yeah, it’s not fun,” Alonso said. “I know, for me, if I’m not producing in big spots with guys on base, it’s not good for the team. I will be better. I feel bad. A lot of people believe in me, and I believe in myself, but I’m not delivering results. I will. I just haven’t. But I will.”
Alonso’s frustration came even as opportunities arrived in the right moments, particularly during Baltimore’s opener versus San Francisco. Adley Rutschman hit a two-out double in a scoreless first, placing Alonso in position against right-hander Landen Roupp. Alonso struck out looking after working to a 3-0 count, then watched three of the next pitches called for strikes low in the zone.
With the Orioles trailing 1-0 in the third, Baltimore again had runners on second and third after Rutschman’s second double. Alonso struck out swinging, whiffing on a 76.7 mph curveball from Roupp that was below the zone. After grounding out to second to end the fifth, he later drew a two-out walk in the eighth when the O’s were down 6-1.
Alonso is still framing the problem as one of execution in pressure at-bats, not a vague slump. That focus matters because Baltimore needs his bat to lift innings when the lineup already has traffic on base. If the pitch selection sharpens, the results should follow quickly.
“First at-bat, I thought I did a good job of laying off some pitcher’s pitches, and he got me. And then, I got over-aggressive my next two at-bats, I let that seep into my next two at-bats, which for me, it’s unacceptable,” Alonso said. “I wish I could have had some better at-bats in those spots. I just need to be better.”
Manager Craig Albernaz said the struggles do not appear rooted in preparation. The eight-year MLB veteran, a five-time All-Star and 2025 National League Silver Slugger Award winner with 265 career home runs on his ledger, is trying to work through the rut. “With any hitter, when they’re in a good spot, they’re kind of just see ball, hit ball, and just be an athlete in there,” Albernaz said. “It looks like he’s trying to handle too much as far as the prep in his approach, which is not always a bad thing. But also, it’s like he’s kind of searching a little bit on that end. It’s not his swing. It’s just more of the pitches to hit and what he’s taking and then what he’s swinging at.”
Alonso’s slump is unfolding alongside broader Orioles struggles at the plate. Baltimore is averaging 3.7 runs per game and has been held to two or fewer runs seven times during a 6-7 start. Still, two bats have given the lineup a spark: Gunnar Henderson and Taylor Ward. Henderson slugged a two-run homer in the ninth, accounting for five of Baltimore’s nine home runs. Ward hit another double, becoming the first player since at least 1900 to hit 10 doubles over his first 13 games with a team, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
The club’s belief is that Alonso will settle back into form, and that conviction comes from the way his approach has looked, even when results lag. It also aligns with how baseball often works: early-season sample sizes can make changes feel sudden, even when adjustments are already underway. As Pete Alonso looks to return to his usual production, the Orioles are counting on that turnaround to show up in big moments.
“I don’t think anybody’s worried about Pete,” right-hander Shane Baz said. “He’ll be just fine.” Catcher Samuel Basallo said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones, “Everybody goes through that sometimes, even the best players in the game — which, I believe he is one of the best players in the game. It’s just a matter of days until he gets it going here soon, and at the end of the season, we’ll be looking at him as one of the best players.” For now, Alonso’s message is clear: the current output is not where he wants it, and the next phase of his Orioles start is expected to look different.