For the second straight offseason, the Mets face the prospect of losing their star first baseman, as Pete Alonso heads back to free agency.

Alonso has been a staple in Queens since winning the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year Award, totalling 264 homers while missing just 24 games across seven seasons. That kind of production is not easy to replace, especially on the open market.

And while there's still a chance that "Polar Bear" returns to Citi Field -- our experts give it a coin-flip chance -- the Mets may already have their first baseman of the future in the form of a homegrown prospect: Ryan Clifford .

COMPLETE METS PROSPECT COVERAGE

Acquired in August 2023 as a key part of the return for Justin Verlander, Clifford has some of the best left-handed power in the Minors. Since signing f

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