Pete Alonso has been worth every penny Orioles have paid him so far and the numbers prove it

When Pete Alonso entered free agency last winter, no one was quite sure what type of contract offers he would get. He had been a free agent the season before and waited almost the entire winter before re-signing with the Mets on a two-year deal with an opt-out, which he exercised. At the time, the Baltimore Orioles weren't even mentioned as a realistic possibility, but that would change with time.

The first contract he signed with the Mets was nowhere near what anyone thought he would get. So, when he entered free agency again the next offseason, even coming off a much better season, no one was totally sure he would get the contract he likely deserved.

While he wasn't a free agent for long the second time around, it didn't come without its hiccups. Reports came out that the Mets didn't even offer him a deal, and the Red Sox, a team he had been heavily linked with, weren't offering over three years. Then, Baltimore swooped in and gave him the payday he had been looking for: Five years, $155 million. After a rough first foray in free agency the season before, and the reports about what other teams offered (or didn't at all), his contract almost seemed like an overpay.

Pete Alonso would've been worth even more money with the way he is playing this season

Well, Alonso has proved any doubters wrong. In his age-31 season, Alonso was the first hitter in the American League to eclipse 100 RBIs, and he's top ten in baseball in home runs. Defensively, he's been much better this season (-1 OAA compared to -9 in 2025), which has made him the most valuable first baseman by fWAR this season at 4.2.

Using Fangraphs "Dollar" stat, a number that converts WAR into a projected salary, Alonso has been worth $33.8 million this season. Not only is that higher than his $31 million luxury tax hit this season, but it is much higher than his actual salary of $21 million. Using this method, Pete has earned his contract and more in the first year of the deal.

The problem then becomes that Alonso needs to repeat this every season for the contract to be fully worth it. Because they backloaded the salary across years two through five, the Polar Bear's actual salary is $33.5 million for his ages 32- 35 seasons. This season has been great for Alonso, and offensively, he's still a half step back from his best seasons. It's also hard to predict whether he will continue this form defensively after never showing this in the past. Alonso only had one season prior to 2026 where he eclipsed $33.5 million in value, and that was his rookie year, when he hit 53 home runs.

Even though the contract may not look as good in the next few seasons, this year it has been absolutely worth the money. Alonso has been a driving force in the middle of the O's lineup this season, and a big reason why they have any shot left at the postseason. At least at the end of year one, O's fans can feel good about their free agent splash.

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