NEW YORK — There was a point in January when questions swirled about whether the Mets' lineup packed enough of a punch.
The Mets front office had sent a shockwave through the baseball landscape with the signing of Juan Soto, but he needed backup, and Pete Alonso's spot in the middle of the lineup was still up in the air.
In the Mets' home opener on Friday afternoon, the home fans got a firsthand look at the potency of a lineup with both Soto and Pete Alonso at the heart.
Alonso belted a two-run home run in his first at-bat and Soto helped the Mets gain some separation with an RBI double in the sixth as they scored a 5-0 victory over the Blue Jays in front of a sold-out crowd of 43,945 fans on Friday at Citi Field.
On a day like Friday, it was easy for Alonso to see why he made the decision to return on a two-year, $54 million deal.
"For me, it was just all about winning," Alonso said. "And for me, knowing the culture here, knowing the guys, knowing the camaraderie, you need a great combination of talent, hard work and chemistry. And obviously this place is familiar. Love it here. Love playing at Citi. Love being at New York. It checks all those boxes for me."
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza does not want to envision a world in which Alonso, who has supplied three of the biggest hits in the team's 4-3 start to the young season, is not in the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
"I'm glad I don't have to think about it. I have him," Mendoza said. "I had him last year and I got him again this year. I don't think that crossed my mind."
Now at the top of the lineup, Mendoza has the chance to deploy a pair of players in Soto and Francisco Lindor who were finalists for the MVP in opposite leagues last season and one of the game's best power hitters in Alonso.
Pete Alonso adds to strong start
Alonso heard the positive response from the fans to his return and gave them another reason to cheer.
On the fifth pitch of his at-bat against Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman in the first inning, the Mets first baseman reached out for a fastball outside the zone and sent it over the wall in right field.
"That's why they call him the Polar Bear," Soto said. "It's tremendous power."
The chants that Alonso heard during pregame introductions resumed as he touched home plate and continued as he ventured into the dugout. So Alonso made sure the fans knew he appreciated the love, ascending the dugout steps for a curtain call.
"It was sick. That type of stuff is what you ...
