Pete Alonso

Background

Peter Morgan Alonso, better known as Pete Alonso, was born in Tampa, Florida, on December 7, 1994, to Peter Matthew and Michelle Lynn Alonso. Alonso studied at Jesuit High School in Tampa for his first two years before transferring to Henry B. Plant High School. As a freshman, he participated in lacrosse and football before concentrating fully on baseball. Alonso played third base for the baseball team. He attended the University of Florida, where he played first base for the Florida Gators and was selected All-Southeastern Conference in his undergraduate year. Alonso started playing collegiate summer baseball for the Northwoods League’s Madison Mallards in 2014 and the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Bourne Braves in 2015. In 58 games that year, he hit.374/.469/.659 with 14 home runs and 60 R.B.I.s. He also represented Florida in the College World Series in 2015 and 2016.

The New York Mets picked Alonso in the second round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, with the 64th overall pick. He signed for a $909,200 signing bonus with the Mets and spent 2016 with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, where he batted 322 with five home runs and 21 R.B.I.s in 30 games. Alonso was selected to play in the league’s All-Star Game. He started the 2017 campaign with the Class A-Advanced St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League, where he hit 286 with 16 home runs and 58 R.B.I.s in 82 games. In August of the same year, he got promoted to Class A.A. Eastern League’s Binghamton Rumble Ponies, where he hit.311 with two home runs and five R.B.I.s in 11 games.

According to MLB.com, Alonso is New York’s fourth-best prospect heading into the 2018 season. He began the 2018 season in Binghamton before being promoted to the Class A.A.A. Pacific Coast League’s Las Vegas 51s midseason. He played in the 2018 All-Star Futures Game for the Mets. Alonso was the final batter in Cashman Field history that season, hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the facility’s last baseball game.

Alonso was named the Mets’ opening-day first baseman in 2019. On March 28, he batted first against Washington Nationals pitcher Justin Miller in the eighth inning. On April 1, he scored his first major league home run off Miami Marlins pitcher Drew Steckenrider. Alonso made his first career multi-home run on April 9 against the Minnesota Twins, becoming the first player in M.L.B. history since 1900 to have 11 extra-base hits in his first 10 career games. Alonso hit his 52nd home run of the season on September 27, tying him with Aaron Judge for most home runs by a rookie in M.L.B. history. Alonso was named National League Rookie of the Year on November 11 after receiving 29 of 30 first-place votes. Alonso appeared in 57 of the 60 games during the 2020 season, cut short by COVID-19, and batted.231/.326/.490 with 16 home runs and 35 R.B.I.s. He hit his first career walk-off home run on September 3, 2020.

Alonso won his second consecutive Home Run Derby on July 12, 2021, after having defeated Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman Trey Mancini 23 to 22 in the final round. He became the third player in history to win two Home Run Derbys in a row and the fourth to achieve two Home Run Derbys in a row. Alonso hit his 100th career home run against Miami Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera on September 7. He reached 100 career home runs in 347 games and became the second-fastest player behind Ryan Howard, who did it in 325 games. In 2021, Alonso appeared in 152 games for the Mets, batting.262/.344/.519 with 37 home runs and 94 R.B.I.s. Alonso agreed to sign a $7.4 million contract with the Mets on March 22, 2022, avoiding salary arbitration. On April 9, 2022, Alonso achieved his first career grand slam against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning off pitcher Joan Adon. He got appointed to the 2022 M.L.B. All-Star Game as a representative for the National League on July 10, 2022, his second selection in his career.