Derek Jeter targeted New York Mets fans directly during a Fanatics Fest appearance on Friday, holding up a trading card of former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. The Hall of Fame shortstop didn’t hold back against his cross-town rivals, twisting the knife into a fanbase currently enduring a disastrous 41-57 campaign.
“Where’s the Mets fans? You could use Pete right about now, huh?” Jeter asked the crowd from the stage.
The viral barb highlights the glaring hole left by Alonso, who departed Queens during the offseason to sign a $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Without their homegrown slugger, the Mets have collapsed to 11.5 games out of the wild-card picture. Internal replacements Mark Vientos and Jared Young have completely failed to replicate his production, posting underwhelming OPS numbers of .644 and .743, respectively.
Meanwhile, Alonso is thriving in Baltimore. Through 97 games in the 2026 season, he has maintained his elite offensive pace. His current stat line shows exactly what the Mets are missing:
- 21 total home runs
- 65 RBIs driven in
- 91 hits across 97 appearances
- An .820 overall OPS
The loss of Alonso looks even worse when factoring in the franchise’s financial commitments. Under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets are operating with a $375 million payroll this year. That places them second in all of Major League Baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and their $420 million ledger. Despite that heavy spending, New York’s front office let their premier power hitter walk, a decision Jeter happily reminded them of on stage.