Pete Alonso was born at the wrong time. For over 100 years, home run hitters were the highest-paid players in the game—defense, baserunning and ability to hit for average not required. Ralph Kiner, a prototype, was famously credited with a line that originated with a Pittsburgh Pirates teammate, pitcher Fritz Ostermueller: “Home run hitters drive Cadillacs and singles hitters drive Fords.”
And then came analytics.
