Story by
Ex-MLB player drops reality check on Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette’s early-season slumps
- Story by
- Ex-MLB player drops reality check on Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette’s early-season slumps
Ex-MLB player drops reality check on Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette's early-season slumps appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Though the 2026 MLB season is less than a month old, one of the biggest early storylines has been the struggles of high-priced free agents like Pete Alonso and Bo Bichette , who signed with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets , respectively, during the winter.
Advertisement
Discussing the struggles some players face when they make a high-profile move from one team to another, AJ Pierzynski noted on Foul Territory that he's seen this happen a number of times during his pro career and knows that players as talented as Bichette and Alonso will eventually figure it out.
"How many times do we have to say this? Trip crash, you know this. First time you switch teams is so hard for most guys. It's so hard for most guys," Pierzynski said. "Now, if you get traded or, you know, it's a little different, but when you get to free agency and then your first time switching teams, you sign a massive deal like these two did, you just, everyone says, 'Oh, you know, guys sign deals, they don't try as hard.' Every, not every guy, but 95 percent of the guys I played with when they signed a big deal, they tried harder because they wanted to justify 'I signed this big deal.' And then add in that they just switched teams. It's a tough spot. They'll figure it out. They're too good."
Widely celebrated for their additions to their respective teams earlier this year, the fact that both Bichette and Alonso are hitting well below their career averages pretty much across the board is somewhat concerning, even if their new teams are both sitting within a game of .500 three weeks into the 2026 MLB season. Ultimately, they may return to their averages or even exceed them, as Pierzynski noted, but for now, it is unquestionably a story to follow.
Related: ClutchPoints 2026 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 8: Disastrous Yankees and Mets skids
Related: Braves' Walt Weiss reveals silver lining of Rockies tenure that changed his life
