NEW YORK -- Juan Soto had several questions for the New York Mets during his free agent negotiations this past winter. One was about their lineup construction.

Soto had just spent the 2024 season in the Bronx as half of a historically productive duo who drew constant comparisons to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. He and Aaron Judge, the American League MVP, were a strenuous puzzle to solve in the New York Yankees' lineup. The left-handed Soto hit second. The right-handed Judge batted third. They protected each other and pulverized pitchers. Leaving the Yankees would mean leaving Judge.

"That was one of the essential parts of the discussion," Soto told ESPN in Spanish on Tuesday. "Who was going to bat behind me?"

The answer seemed clear. Pete Alonso remained a free agent. The first baseman is homegrown and adored in Queens. More importantly, for lineup construction purposes, he's a right-handed slugger. He isn't on Judge's level -- who is? -- but he ranks right behind Judge in home runs since debuting in 2019. He was an obvious complement to Soto.

"I told them the best option was him," Soto said.

By late January, Alonso's return still appeared unlikely. Mets owner Steve Cohen, during a fan event at Citi Field, called the negotiation "exhausting" and "worse" than the Soto pursuit. He left the door open, but much to the chagrin of Mets fans in the crowd that day, he also said the organization was ready to move on from the four-time All-Star.

Less than two weeks later, just days before spring training, the sides came to an agreement on a two-year contract with an opt-out after this season. The 30-year-old Alonso went from seemingly in the Mets' past to protecting the franchise's $765 million investment. Two months into the partnership, the early returns of the 2025 season support Soto's opinion. The best example came in Tuesday's win over the Miami Marlins.

The Mets, leading 6-5, had runners on the corners with one out in the sixth inning for Soto. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough brought in right-hander Ronny Henriquez -- and, despite the runner on first, made the unusual decision to intentionally walk Soto. That loaded the bases for Alonso and created an inning-ending double-play opportunity with a righty-righty matchup -- though McCullough made another unusual call by pulling in the infield and the outfield. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he wasn't surprised by the Marlins' decision to walk Soto.

"I think it gets to a point where it's pick your poison there," Mendoza said.

Two pitches later, Alonso cracked a 93-mph sinker into the left-center field gap for a bases-clearing triple, blowing the game open on a cold, blustery afternoon in Queens.

It was Alonso's second double of the day -- his first, a Texas Leaguer to right field in the third inning, drove in the Mets' first two runs. Alonso has served as the offense's engine in the three hole, behind leadoff man Francisco Lindor and Soto, batting .333 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.139 OPS through the club's first 12 games.

"It seems like teams are trying to not get beat with Soto," Mendoza said. "And then, before you know it, they're making mistakes with Pete, and he's been ready to go and making them pay."

Alonso is looking to reverse a three-year decline in offensive production, making better swing decisions after the worst offensive campaign of his career in 2024. It's early, but so far Alonso is laying off pitches outside the strike zone more often. He's barreling pitches over the plate at a higher percentage. He's crushing pitches the other way -- in the Mets' home opener Friday, he clubbed a 95-mph fastball from Kevin Gausman down and out of the strike zone for a two-run home run to right field.

Hitting behind Soto, who has a .404 on-base percentage as a Met, has made his work a little easier.

"He's such a pro," Alonso said of Soto. "Obviously, we know he has power, he has the hit tool. He can hit for average. Super dynamic player offensively. But the thing that I really benefit from is just seeing -- because he sees a ton of pitches and just kind of seeing what they're doing to him, obviously, it really helps because they're trying to stay away from the middle of the zone with him and I can kind of take some mental notes with that."

With more pitches to Soto, the game's most disciplined hitter, comes more strain for pitchers. With more runners on base, comes more pitches -- and fastballs -- over the plate for Alonso to devour. It is a formula Soto envisioned over the winter. Whether it extends beyond this season remains unknown.

There's no question he is popular with fans. During the Mets' home opener Friday, Citi Field roared for Alonso during pregame introductions. The fans did so again when he stepped into the batter's box for his first at-bat. And then once more, moments later, when he emerged from the dugout for a curtain call after hitting a two-run home run.

This week, one option for replacing Alonso was taken off the board when first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension. Guerrero's contract should help Alonso's earning potential if he chooses, as expected, to opt out of his contract and hit free agency again this winter.

For now, in his seventh season, Alonso is thriving as the Mets' first baseman, hitting behind his team's most valuable player.

"That's why you want [protection] like that," Soto said. "First of all, to have the chance to do more damage and stuff. But whenever they don't want to pitch me, I know I have a guy behind me that could make it even worse for them."