Peter Alonso (Jacob Resnick/Mets Minors)

Peter Alonso‘s bat is on fire. That isn’t surprising. A marked improvement on the defensive side of the ball through the Double-A season’s first month-and-a-half is what has the Mets’ player development brass most enthusiastic about the 23-year-old.

“We always knew he could hit, but his defense has really kicked in,” a Mets executive told Mike Puma of Baseball America. “He is playable—more than playable—at first base. It’s too early to think about (the major leagues), but I think he is on the right track.”

Alonso has hit .307/.385/.558 through 579 career at-bats, but questionable defense led to an invitation to last season’s fall instructional league, a month-long boot camp typically reserved for raw players in the low minors. Farm director Ian Levin believed more direct field work could unlock Alonso’s full potential.

“He realizes that’s an area he needs to continue to improve at,” Levin told MiLB.com in September. “He’s put in a good amount of effort and he’s totally on board. His bat has the chance to be impactful, and we want to make sure he’s ready for that so he can live up to that.”

It’s clear that the hard work is paying off for Alonso, and as long as he continues to beat up on Eastern League pitching, he’ll become the most-talked-about former Florida Gator in Binghamton in no time.