Earlier this month, Pete Alonso left New York for Baltimore when he signed a five-year deal worth $155 million with the Orioles. He left behind a lasting legacy in Flushing, one that includes establishing
himself as the franchise’s all-time home run leader, both for a single season (53) and for his career (264).
While one can certainly make the strong case that a five-year deal for a declining defensive first baseman with his profile is not a smart baseball or business decision, the fact remains that, as a fan, it’s still hard to see a player of his stature depart in the middle of their career. His impact on the franchise will be remembered for years to come and his jersey will be seen on the backs of fans, young and old, for generations. He is a sure-fire Mets Hall of Famer could even see his #20 retired by the team one day.
So while the happy memories are still fresh in our minds, lets revisit some of Alonso’s biggest moments. To honor the number he proudly wore since his debut in 2019, let’s revisit 20 moments that should remind fans how special a player and presence the Polar Bear was during his tenure in Queens. For simplicity, we’re going to run through these in chronological order, not by order of importance.
Alonso records hit in major league debut (March 28, 2019)
There was a fair amount of excitement surrounding the 2019 Mets. The offseason was dominated by discourse around the Edwin Díaz/Jarred Kelenic trade, but it was Pete Alonso’s superb spring that became the focal point before Opening Day. The first baseman, who was drafted by New York in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft, established himself as a power threat in the minors and came out swinging that spring, hitting .352/.387/.620 with four homers and five doubles in 71 at-bats in Port St. Lucie. The speculation prior to his breakout was that the Mets would possibly look to keep Alonso in the minors to maintain an extra year of control, but he forced the team’s hand with his eye-opening offensive display. Alonso made the club and was inserted immediately into the Opening Day lineup, sandwiched in between leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo and the recently-acquired Robinson Cano. In the eighth inning of the team’s 2-0 win at Nationals Park, Alonso picked up the first of his 951 hits as a Met, a bloop single to center. Alonso leaves New York ranked 14th on the franchise’s all-time hits list, in between Daniel Murphy (967) and Keith Hernandez (939). Interestingly, he’s two spots below Brandon Nimmo (974), and two spots ahead of Jeff McNeil (920), both of whom were long-time teammates and traded this winter.
Alonso hits first of franchise-record 264 homers (April 1, 2019)
It took Alonso four games to record his first home run, and when he did, it was the kind of no-doubter he would regularly treat the fans to throughout his Mets’ career. The home run drew a notable reaction from Keith Hernandez, who could only chuckle and comment “Oh boy” after the ball left the park. Alonso’s three-run blast capped a four-run ninth that sealed a 7-3 win for the Mets in Miami, giving them a third win in four games to start the season. Alonso would go on to set a rookie record, a Mets single-season record, and a franchise record—more on all of that later. Alonso enjoyed a lot of success against Miami, hitting 32 home runs against the Marlins, the most against any opponent.
Alonso wins Home Run Derby in rookie season (July 8, 2019)
With a bat flip and a leap into the arms of cousin Derek Morgan, Alonso capped off an impressive Home Run Derby victory, topping Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23-22 in the finals at Progressive Field. While Mets fans were well-acquainted with his majestic dingers, this was his coming out party on the national stage, much like Jacob deGrom’s All-Star game performance in 2015 brought him into the national spotlight. Alonso became the first Met to participate in the derby since David Wright in 2013, and the first time a Met had advanced to the finals since Wright finished second in the 2006 derby. For a fanbase that didn’t have much to cheer about over the past two seasons, it was a great point of pride to see a homegrown player put forth such a prolific performance. Alonso also showed off his heart, donating 10% of his derby winnings to the Wounded Warriors Project and Tunnel for Towers ($50,000 each). For good measure, Alonso drove in two of the National League All-Star team’s three runs with an eighth inning single the next night, though it came in a losing effort as the American League won the All-Star game 4-3.
Alonso sets single-season franchise record with 42nd home run (August 27, 2019)
By the All-Star break, it became clear that only an act of god would prevent Alonso for breaking the franchise’s single-season home run record. That mark had stood since Todd Hundley hit 41 homers in 1996, and was matched by Carlos Beltran in 2006. Alonso entered the second half with 30 home runs in the team’s first 90 games, and it took until the team’s 131st game on August 27 for him to sit alone at the top of the single-season leaderboard. Alonso hit the record-breaking dinger against Yu Darvish in the fourth inning of a game against the Cubs at Citi Field. The blast put New York ahead 1-0, but they would go on to lose 5-2. It was their fourth of six consecutive losses, a streak that ultimately would go on to put a huge dent in their playoff chase—the Mets had won 16 of 17 earlier in the summer to claw themselves back into the postseason picture.
53! Alonso sets rookie record for home runs in a single season (September 28, 2019)
Despite a valiant effort, the Mets’ postseason dreams were dashed by the season’s final homestand. However, fans remained locked in for a chance to see Alonso surpass Aaron Judge’s rookie record of 52 home runs. The Mets’ first baseman, who entered the homestand with 50 homers, crushed #51 against the Marlins on September 25, and then kicked off the final series of the season against the Braves with #52 to tie Judge. The Mets were scheduled to play the Braves on Saturday night on FOX, setting Alonso up to make his mark in front of a national audience. Never one to shy away from the big stage, Alonso obliged, taking a Mike Foltynewicz pitch and crushing it to dead center, into the Big Apple section at Citi Field. Upon rounding the bases, the Mets played the music from “The Natural” to soundtrack Alonso’s record-breaking moment. If there’s one negative to say about it, it’s that Gary Cohen was not on the call, so no record of this moment exists with GKR announcing it.
There wasn’t much question that Alonso would take home NL Rookie of the Year honors, and he did so in near-unanimous fashion by earning 29 of the 30 first place votes. He became the first Met to win Rookie of the Year since Jacob deGrom in 2014, and sixth overall, joining Tom Seaver (1967), Jon Matlack (1972), Darryl Strawberry (1983), and Dwight Gooden (1984). Alonso and Strawberry remain the only position players to win the award. The Polar Bear concluded his rookie campaign slashing .260/.358/.583 with 53 home runs, 103 runs scored and 120 runs batted in over 161 games. His 144 wRC+ and 4.7 fWAR remain career-bests.
Pete Alonso hits walk-off home run against Yankees (September 3, 2020)
2020 is a year almost everyone would like to forget—for baseball reasons and otherwise—but Alonso made sure to give Mets fans one unforgettable moment when he hit a leadoff, walk-off two-run home run to lift the Mets to a 9-7 win over the crosstown rival Yankees. It was a mostly-inconsequential victory in a lost season for the Amazins, but it came one day after the club announced the passing of The Franchise, Tom Seaver. The home run served as a fitting tribute to the organization’s greatest icon and elicited a strong emotional reaction from Howie Rose, who broke down in tears in the radio booth as Alonso rounded the bases. It was a beautiful moment in a year filled with so much pain and loss.
Twice as Nice: Alonso wins second consecutive Home Run Derby (July 12, 2021)
After COVID-19 canceled the 2020 All-Star Game and related festivities, the Midsummer Classic returned in 2021, bringing the action to Coors Field in Denver. No longer the fresh-faced newcomer, the field was gunning for Alonso, but the Polar Bear was locked in and gave a near-perfect performance as he hit more impressive homers—a whopping 74 in total—in the thin Denver air. He made it look even easier this time around, appearing serene and laser-focused with 51 dingers in the first two rounds. He defeated Baltimore’s Trey Mancini in the final round, hitting the 23 home runs needed to win with time to spare. The crowd was mesmerized by Alonso’s performance, as he became just the third player to win back-to-back derbies, joining Yoenis Cespedes (2013-2014) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-1999).
Alonso hits walk-off home run against Nationals to cap off doubleheader sweep (August 12, 2021)
This one was not as emotional as his first walk-off homer against the Yankees, but it was still important. The club, reeling from a three-game sweep in Philadelphia that dropped them out of first place for the first time since May 7, needed a pick-me-up as they returned home to Citi Field. The Nationals proved to be the right medicine for what ailed New York, as they were able to complete a sweep to climb back into a tie with the Phillies after falling two games back. The third win in the series came courtesy of Alonso’s bat, as he clubbed a Kyle Finnegan pitch to left-center with one out in the seventh—remember seven inning doubleheaders? The win and sweep halted the team’s slide for a bit, but unfortunately the rest of August (and September) was not kind to New York as they fell far behind in the NL East race and fell under .500, finishing the year with just 77 wins.
Alonso hits 100th career home run (September 7, 2021)
Until this point, only 16 players had ever hit 100 home runs in a Mets uniform. Alonso became the 17th, and the fastest to do so. In fact, he became the second-fastest player to ever reach 100 home runs, doing so in his 347th career game—only Ryan Howard (325) reached the 100 home run plateau faster. Alonso accomplished the feat in the same stadium he hit his first homer, loanDepot Park in Miami. He wasted little time doing so, hitting a 425-foot blast to left-center against Edward Cabrera in the top of the first. It came just two at-bats after his 99th career homer, which he hit in the sixth inning of the team’s previous game against the Nationals. Alonso went on to hit two homers in the team’s 9-4 victory that night.
“Out of sight!” Alonso hits walk-off homer against Cardinals, leading to iconic jump shot helmet celebration (May 19, 2022)
It was clear early on that the 2022 Mets were built different, a team built with swagger and a lot of talent. One of the year’s early highlights came on May 19, when Alonso hit a lead-off, two-run walk-off home run in the tenth with the team trailing 7-6. The ball sailed deep into the second deck in left field, with Gary Cohen exuberantly exclaiming, “Alonso cracks one and the Mets win the ballgame! Out of sight!” As Alonso approached home, he stopped and tossed his helmet into the throng of waiting Mets players like he was taking a jump shot. It gave the Mets one of their 101 victories in 2022, their second-most in a single season.
Alonso breaks single-season franchise record with 25th game-winning RBI (August 26, 2022)
Alonso leaves New York with many franchise records under his belt. One of those moments occurred on August 26, 2022, when Alonso drove home the game-winning run in the ninth inning against the Rockies at Citi Field. The walk-off gave the first baseman 25 game-winning RBI on the season, surpassing Keith Hernandez for the most in a single year for the Mets. Alonso went on to record eight walk-off RBI as a Met, third to Wilmer Flores (10) and David Wright (9).
Alonso sets new franchise RBI mark with 125 (September 25, 2022)
Later that year, Alonso set another RBI mark for the Mets: The most runs batted in over the course of a single season. He did so in Oakland—back when the Athletics played there—and he did it in the most fitting way possible, with a no-doubt-about-it home run. His 125 RBI in 2022 broke a tie with Wright, who recorded 124 RBI in 2007, and Mike Piazza, who recorded 124 RBI in 2000. His two-run home run in the fourth inning of the team’s 13-4 win gave him 125 RBI, and he went on to set the mark at 131 before the end of the year. He reached 126 RBI in 2025, falling just short of breaking his own record.
Alonso hits first postseason home run, leads Mets to lone victory in 2022 Wild Card round (October 8, 2022)
Two years before he would author the most iconic moment of his career—more on that later—Alonso hit his first postseason home run against the Padres in Game 2 of the Wild Card round. The moment gets forgotten because the Mets, who struggled in September and choked away the NL East race in the final days of the season, could not make it out of the Wild Card round despite winning 101 games. Still, after losing Game 1, New York remained alive, and Alonso’s dinger kept hope alive for at least one more day. With the game tied at two apiece, Alonso hit a leadoff homer in the fifth to break the tie for good and give the Mets a 3-2 lead. They would go on to take the game 7-3 in front of the hometown crowd, though they would ultimately fall in Game 3 and lose the series.
Alonso belts walk-off, three-run homer against Rays (May 17, 2023)
There aren’t a lot of good things to say about the 2023 Mets, an expensive mess that just never panned out, but Alonso’s walk-off home run against the Rays was still a cool moment. He hit his fourth walk-off dinger in the tenth inning with the team trailing by two runs. There was no doubt from the moment it left the bat to the moment it landed that it was gone, and it kickstarted a five-game winning streak that brought the Mets from three games under .500 to two games over .500. Unfortunately, the team would never climb above three games over .500 and languished for much of the year before their late-season sell-off. So it goes.
Alonso hits 200th career home run (April 27, 2024)
Only three Mets had previously reached the 200-home run plateau (Strawberry, Wright, and Piazza) before Alonso inserted his name into the Mt. Rushmore of Mets sluggers early in the 2024 season. His two-run shot against St. Louis cemented him among the greatest sluggers in franchise history. The Mets went on to lose the game 7-4, but bigger and better things awaited the Polar Bear and the Amazins in 2024. This moment came long before anyone knew that a certain purple McDonald’s character or a journeyman infielder/international pop star would guide the Mets to their most fun season in almost a decade.
“He did it! He did it!” Alonso stuns Brewers, lifts Mets to NLDS (October 3, 2024)
Here it is. The big one. The most iconic moment of Alonso’s career, and arguably the biggest home run in franchise history. The Mets trailed Game 3 of the Wild Card round 2-0 and were two outs away from elimination with Alonso produced a fairy tale ending for New York. His three-run homer against now-Mets closer Devin Williams will be replayed for years to come, and Howie Rose’s call is why he’s a living legend. Not much else to say about this one, but it’s hard to imagine a Mets fan watching this video and not smiling. The homer extended their postseason run, which took them all the way to Game 6 of the NLCS.
Alonso homers vs. Phillies in NLDS Game 3 (October 8, 2024)
Five days after his iconic home run in Milwaukee, Alonso hit another opposite field dinger, this time against the Phillies at Citi Field. While not as important, it was no less impactful, as it broke a zero-zero tie in the second and gave the Mets a lead they would never relinquish. It was especially huge since the Mets dropped Game 2 and returned to Citi Field with the series knotted up at one win apiece. The homer sent Citi Field into a tizzy and the atmosphere never let up as the Mets earned a 7-2 win, as they disposed of their division rivals and advanced to the NLCS for the first time since 2015.
Alonso hits two home runs in Colorado to tie, surpass Wright on franchise home run list (June 8, 2025)
Before Alonso could surpass Strawberry, he first had to pass up Wright on the franchise’s home run list. Alonso tied and passed the beloved Mets Captain on the same date, a Sunday matinee against the Rockies at Coors Field. First, he hit home run #242, a two-run shot in the third, to match Wright and extend New York’s lead to 4-0. Then, with the Mets well ahead 10-3, he left The Captain in his rearview mirror when he crushed another two-run homer to make it 12-3 New York. That gave him 243 home runs for Alonso, more than all but one Mets player.
Alonso sets franchise record with 253 home runs (August 12, 2025)
When Alonso re-signed with the Mets in February, it became a foregone conclusion that he would break the team’s franchise home run record. Alonso entered the season at 226 home runs, needing 26 to match and 27 to surpass Strawberry;s long-time record. That certainty became a reality on August 12, when Alonso launched the first pitch he saw from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider over the wall in right-center field to extend New York’s lead to 5-1. Alonso rounded the bases as his teammates poured out to greet him. Alonso got his well-deserved moment to shine in front of the hometown crowd that have shown him nothing but love since his 2019 debut. It was a nice moment to cap off his Mets’ career, and something that will all but guarantee a Mets’ Hall of Fame induction and perhaps a number retirement when his career comes to a close. In a season that will be remembered for an embarrassing collapse, Alonso’s record-breaking home run gave fans a moment to celebrate.
Alonso hits walk-off three-run home run against the Rangers (September 14, 2025)
The 260th home run of Alonso’s storied Mets career was also his fifth and final walk-off home run in orange and blue. The three-run blast off Texas right-hander Luis Curvelo in the tenth inning of their series closer gave the Mets a sorely-needed 5-2 victory and halted the club’s eight-game skid. It was not enough to avoid their eventual collapse, but it did, for a brief moment, give fans a reason to dream. His five walk-off homers are tied for the most of any players since the start of 2019, along with Will Smith and Mike Yastrzemski.
