Pete Alonso sets Mets' single-season home run record with No. 42
Pete Alonso of the Mets watches the flight of the fourth-inning home run against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mets rookie Pete Alonso has more home runs in a season than any player in the club’s history.
That became a fact Tuesday night when Alonso crushed his 42nd homer of the season, a 407-foot no-doubter into the bullpen beyond the rightfield wall off Yu Darvish to give the Mets a 1-0 lead over the Cubs.
Alonso entered the game tied with Todd Hundley and Carlos Beltran, who hit 41 homers in 1996 and 2006, respectively.
Beltran and Hundley congratulated Alsono in statements released through the Mets.
”It’s a pleasure to have a fine young player like Pete Alonso break my record," said Beltran. "I have not met Pete personally but people have told me he plays the game with passion and doesn’t give up on any at-bat. He has had great success in his first year. Again, my congrats, Pete.”
Hundley said, “To me, he’s more than a power hitter, he’s a pure hitter. I have seen five or six of his games and he keeps getting better and better. He has just had a tremendous year. Congrats, Pete you deserve all the records you have broken.”
This is just the latest record for the budding star in his breakout rookie season.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Alonso became the first rookie to set or tie his team’s single-season home run record since longtime Mets broadcaster and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner hit 23 homers for Pittsburgh in 1946.
Alonso’s 40th homer of the year hit earlier this month eclipsed Cody Bellinger’s 2017 rookie mark for the National League.
With 31 games to play in the regular season after tonight, Alonso has a chance to make a run at Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s major-league rookie record of 52 home runs in 2017.
With Tim Healey
