Is Pete Alonso the New “Home Run King Of New York” ?

Pete Alonso of the New York Mets is – quite literally – the epitome of a player starting off their Major League Baseball career with a “bang.”

The rookie first baseman, who hasn’t even officially played 90 games in his MLB career, is already starting to become something of a household name among baseball fans, despite playing in a city dominated by their cross-town baseball counterparts. Entering the 2019 MLB All Star break, Alonso ranked 3rd in all of baseball in most home runs to date (30), and is currently on pace to break the rookie home run record set by Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees in 2017.

This past Tuesday evening, Alonso – who became the 3rd rookie in MLB history to reach 30 home runs before the All-Star break – won his matchups against Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Indians, Ronald Acuna Jr. of the division rival Atlanta Braves, and fellow rookie sensation Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, to win the 2019 Home Run Derby.

In his final round against Guerrero, Alonso trailed Guerrero by five home runs – a deficit he would have to erase in just about 66 seconds (though he would have the luxury of some additional bonus time he was awarded as part of the contest, after hitting to home runs travelling 440 feet).

After hitting a homer immediately thereafter, Alonso took his timeout with just about one minute left to gather himself to get ready to hit the four remaining runs. And with 20 seconds still remaining on the clock, Alonso would hit his 22nd home run, moving ahead of Guerrero to win the contest.

In a season in which his Metropolitans are actually behind pace to finish with the .500 winning percentage that many baseball prognosticators predicted they would finish around this year, Alonso has been one of the few bright spots for New York’s “other” (floundering) team. Given his pace towards breaking Judge’s home run record, local publications are starting to wonder whether they should declare Alonso as the “home run king of New York.”

Of course, home runs are one thing, but being a weapon at the plate is even more important. And at 24 years old, the fact that Alonso is putting up a slash line of .280/.372/.634, and has 57 runs plus 68 RBI in addition to his home runs, further demonstrates just how valuable he is to the Mets’ lineup.

But clearly, it’s his power at the plate that’s catching the attention of his peers, and baseball fans across the nation. And in a sport that’s continually looking for ways to better market its stars, Alonso is a guy – on and off the field – whom the Mets can be proud to promote.

Case in point? Per MLB rules, the winner of the Home Run Derby receives a $1 million award. Alonso stated that he would donate 5% of his winnings to the Wounded Warrior Project, the renowned non-profit organization which benefits combat veterans, active duty service members, and first responders. The organization holds a special meaning for Alonso, as his grandfathers on both sides served in the military.

Image © Pete Alonso Instagram