NFTs continue to gain ground in the world of sports. This time, it’s the Mets player Pete Alonso who is looking into NFTs to raise funds. The launch will take place this Tuesday on BlockParty. This auction is only set to include one specific artwork.
The NFT itself was designed by minor league player Tommy Wilson from the Mets minor league system. Minor league players are left without a job due to the COVID 19 pandemic. In 2020, the entire season got canceled. The cancellation prompted Alonso and others to seek to raise funds.
NFTs and the World Of Sports
NFTs are not all that new to the world of sports. In an instance, the NFT collection launched by Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski. It was recently reported that Gronkowski’s collection already had around 1.2 to 1.8 million in sales for the player.
The NBA is, without a doubt, at the forefront when it comes to NFTs. NBA Top Shot is the official NBA NFT store where fans can purchase unique video highlights of their favorite players. According to creator Dapper Labs, the blockchain trading card system has already racked up 230 million sales.
Alonso Going For A Charitable Approach
At this point, there is no indication that Alonso or anyone in the mix is focused on creating a larger NFT platform. The proceeds from the sale of the one NFT artform will go to “More Than Baseball.” A non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping minor-league players with housing, equipment, and nutrition.
As far as what pushed Alonso to pursue this initiative, the player himself commented:
“I was a minor leaguer. I know how hard it is on 12-hour bus trips. (..) If you’re not on the 40-man roster or you’re just a regular minor leaguer without any big league team, you’re making around $2.85 an hour.”
More NFT Efforts In Baseball
This news from Pete Alonso comes on the back of Fernando Tatis Jr., announcing he is launching his own NFT collection. By all accounts, Tatis Jr’s efforts are for profit.
Pitcher Taijuan Walker was the first MLB player to sell an NFT directly. The image resembled a baseball card signed by him. That particular NFT sold for around $4,000.
As more and more athletes become cognizant of the potential that NFTs bring to the table for them, expect more to get in on the trend.
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