Pete Alonso is officially the New York Mets No. 1 career home run hitter…
The 30-year-old half-Spanish American professional baseball player, nicknamed “Polar Bear,” hit his 253rd career homer on Tuesday night, breaking the New York Mets franchise record held by Darryl Strawberry for 37 years.
Alonso drove a 95.1 mph fastball from Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider just over the wall in right-center for a two-run shot in the third inning.
Alonso’s 27th homer of the season lifted the Mets to a 5-1 lead.
And he wasn’t done there, either.
In the sixth inning, Alonso connected for a solo home run to give New York an 11-5 lead.
After the third-inning shot, the Mets celebrated the accomplishment with a scoreboard graphic with the number 253 alongside pictures of Alonso and polar bears in honor of the slugger’s nickname.
Alonso embraced Brandon Nimmo, who scored ahead of him, and another longtime teammate, on-deck hitter Jeff McNeil, before doffing his cap and blowing kisses to a near-sellout crowd that included New York owner Steve Cohen.
Led by manager Carlos Mendoza, the Mets poured out of the dugout to exchange embraces with Alonso as the crowd chanted his name. Alonso emerged for another curtain call during McNeil’s at-bat.
Following the inning, the Mets played the theme from The Natural and Alonso again doffed his cap as the camera lingered on Strawberry’s No. 18 hanging above foul territory in left field at Citi Field.
The Mets also released a video on social media featuring a message from Strawberry.
“I just want to say congratulations on breaking the home run record,” Strawberry said. “You have worked hard, you have stood up in the pressure of New York City, and you have played well. It is well deserved. You are a homegrown player. Again, congratulations and continue to have great success.”
The Mets hammered the Braves for six home runs in a 13-5 victory Tuesday night. The power display was so great that the team had to post on the Citi Field jumbotron that it ran out of fireworks.
Alonso had tied Strawberry’s record by going deep against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
A homegrown star, Alonso broke into the big leagues with a bang in 2019, hitting 53 home runs to set a major league rookie record and establish a franchise high for a single season.
The five-time MLB All-Star has reached 40 two other times and been one of the most consistent sluggers in baseball since his arrival. After a protracted negotiation, he returned to the Mets as a free agent in February on a $54 million, two-year contract that includes a $24 million player option for 2026 that he likely will decline.
The only other active players who lead their current franchise in home runs are Manny Machado (Padres) and Mike Trout (Angels).
Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, holds the Miami mark with 267 for the Marlins.
Strawberry broke the previous Mets record with his 155th home run on May 3, 1988, passing Dave Kingman. The sweet-swinging outfielder hit 252 in 1,109 games for New York during his first eight major league seasons from 1983 to 1990. He later played for the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees, finishing his 17-year career with 335 homers.
Alonso played his 965th regular-season game Tuesday. The durable first baseman has played in 372 straight, a team record.
