Pete Alonso breaks New York Mets home run record, passes Darryl Strawberry
NEW YORK (PIX11) — The Polar Bear has officially climbed to the top of the New York Mets' home run mountain.
Pete Alonso slugged his 253rd career home run in a Mets uniform on Aug. 12 against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning. Darryl Strawberry's all-time record of 252 home runs stood for 35 years before Alonso passed him.
The slugging first baseman is third in Major League Baseball in round-trippers since coming into the league in 2019, the same year Alonso won National League Rookie of the Year for hitting a rookie-record 53 home runs.
Alonso's chase for the record was put into question during the offseason while he waited for a new contract from the Mets, or any team, to come his way.
After hitting one of the most memorable home runs in Mets history during the 2024 MLB Wild Card round in Milwaukee to propel New York to the Division Series, fans clamoured for Alonso to stay in Queens. Ultimately, the Polar Bear signed a two-year $54 million deal with the Mets in February.
After Alonso's seventh season in New York, he has a player opt-out, which would allow him to test free agency once again in search of a longer commitment and more guaranteed money.
Whether it be New York or another club in need of a power-hitting first baseman, Alonso's name has been etched in stone as the home run king of the Mets for the foreseeable future.
Spencer Gustafson is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered New York state and city news since 2023. See more of his work here.