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Pete Alonso is the new home run king of the New York Mets.
In the bottom of the third inning, Alonso launched a two-run homer off Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider, a laser to right-center field that extended the team’s lead to 5-1.
It was Alonso’s 253rd career home run, all of which have been with the Mets. He was tied with Darryl Strawberry for the most in a Mets uniform, but with that blast, he is the sole leader in their record books.
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New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates after hitting a two run home run to become the all time Mets franchise home run leader in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. (Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)
Strawberry may have had 335 career homers, but he also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees during that time.
It was always expected by Mets fans that David Wright, the team’s most recent captain, would be the franchise leader in long balls. However, throughout his Mets career from 2004-18, he belted 242 homers.
Wright, whose number was retired by the franchise earlier this season, ranks third behind Alonso and Strawberry.
There was a time this past offseason where it seemed Alonso wouldn’t be able to get this record, as his Mets future was uncertain due to free agency. But he ultimately signed a two-year, $54 million deal, and it has worked out for both parties.
Alonso entered Tuesday’s bout with the Braves with a .264/.350/.511 slash line with 26 homers and 93 RBI over 118 games.
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two run home run to become the all time Mets franchise home run leader in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. (Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)
Alonso burst onto the big-league scene in 2019, earning his first of five All-Star nods. He also set a new single-season MLB record for home runs hit with 53 that year, breaking the 52-homer record set by New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge in 2017.
Alonso quickly turned into a fan favorite, which is why many Mets faithful were clamoring for him to sign a deal that kept him in Flushing for the foreseeable future.
While Alonso has this franchise record, he is chasing Strawberry and Wright in terms of RBIs, though he is third on that list with 681. Wright is the leader with 970.
This season, the Mets will certainly love some more homers from Alonso if it means wins on the record.
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits a two run home run to become the all time Mets franchise home run leader in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. (Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)
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New York entered Tuesday sitting in the final National League Wild Card spot with a 63-55 record. The Cincinnati Reds are two games behind them in that race.
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