It’s no secret that the Red Sox are looking for a power bat to anchor the middle of the lineup, and this past week at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas chief baseball officer Craig Breslow frequently acknowledged that fact.

There are two obvious candidates at the top of the free agent market, those being New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. The two have been among the most prolific home run hitters in baseball over the past five years, and either would immediately give the Red Sox lineup the boost it needs.

But when push comes to shove, who should the Red Sox make their top target?

Alonso has two notable factors working in his favor.

One, he bats right-handed while Schwarber bats lefty. That will make him a better fit for the Red Sox’s lineup, which currently tilts heavily left-handed, and would allow him to pull the ball into and over the Green Monster at Fenway Park.

Two, Alonso does not have a qualifying offer attached to him, while Schwarber does. That means the Red Sox or any other team could sign Alonso without having to forfeit a draft pick, while signing Schwarber would cost the club a pick plus whatever money it would take to bring him aboard.

Those details will make Alonso appealing, but how do the two compare on the field?

Since making his MLB debut in 2019 Alonso has been the most consistent and reliable power hitter in baseball. The 30-year-old’s 264 home runs rank third in the big leagues over that stretch, and he’s never hit fewer than 34 home runs in a full 162-game season.

This past year Alonso hit 38 home runs and an NL-best 41 doubles, batted .272 with an .871 OPS, posted 3.4 wins above replacement and played in all 162 games.

You won’t be surprised to hear the player with the most homers since 2019 is New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, but the other with more than Alonso is none other than Schwarber, who has hit 268 homers during that stretch.

Schwarber has been especially dangerous since joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022.

Over the past four years the 32-year-old has hit 46, 47, 38 and an NL-high 56 home runs. This year Schwarber also tallied an MLB-best 132 RBI, batted .240 with a .928 OPS, posted 4.7 WAR as a designated hitter and was voted a finalist for NL MVP.

Schwarber also has a longer track record of success in the postseason.

Over his first 11 MLB seasons Schwarber has participated in the playoffs 10 times. He helped the Chicago Cubs end their 108-year World Series drought in 2016, played a pivotal role in getting the Red Sox to the 2021 ALCS after arriving at that summer’s trade deadline, and since signing with the Phillies has helped the club reach the postseason four straight years after having previously not made it since 2011, including a World Series appearance in 2022.

Alonso has only played in the postseason twice, though he authored one of the greatest moments in recent New York Mets history with his go-ahead ninth-inning home run to stun the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the 2024 NL Wild Card series.

In terms of roster fit, Alonso seemingly has an edge. Besides being a right-handed hitter, the Red Sox could also use someone who can play first base more than someone who is primarily a DH and occasional outfielder.

Triston Casas is currently projected as the club’s starting first baseman and expects to be ready for spring training, but coming off a serious knee injury his health can’t be taken for granted in either the short or long term. Alonso slotting in at first would give the Red Sox certainty at that position while leaving open the possibility Casas could serve as the DH once he’s ready to go.

Schwarber would be an obvious upgrade over anyone the Red Sox currently have in the DH mix, but his skillset and profile almost perfectly overlaps with Masataka Yoshida, who is also a left-handed hitting DH/outfielder, only without the power. Carrying both players on the roster would be extremely difficult, and it would also leave the Red Sox vulnerable at first base in case Casas either isn’t ready for Opening Day or gets hurt again.

As far as money goes, it should probably be a wash. MLB Trade Rumors projects Alonso will land a deal in the range of four years, $110 million while Schwarber is projected to get five years, $135 million despite his qualifying offer.

Either deal would be perfectly within Boston’s budget, so while Alonso appears to be the better fit overall, this is a case where the Red Sox probably can’t go wrong either way.