Record-breaking ‘Polar Bear’ goes into Mets history

The New York Mets (63-54) have endured a sharp decline since the All-Star Game, winning just eight of 20 games since the Summer Classic. Still, Pete Alonso provided a rare bright spot with his home run in tonight’s 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers (72-44).

“Polar Bear,” as Alonso is nicknamed, launched a first-inning homer to match the record for most home runs in Mets history. The infielder crushed the ball 413 feet for his 252nd career blast in Major League Baseball.

The feat is remarkable because Alonso reached that mark in far fewer games than Darryl Strawberry, who set the record after playing 1,109 games with the Mets. Alonso needed just 963 MLB appearances to get there.

Alonso: from record rookie year to fewer homers per season

Alonso burst onto the scene in 2019, his rookie year, leading the majors with 53 homers – a performance that earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors and a seventh-place finish in MVP voting.

Since then, he has struggled to consistently match that pace. Only in 2022 and 2023 did he top the 40-homer mark, with 40 and 46, respectively. The COVID-shortened 2020 season limited him to 16 in just 57 games.

His “down” years have still been solid, but expectations are sky-high for a player of Alonso’s caliber. In 2021 he hit 37 long balls, and in 2024 he managed 34 despite playing all 162 regular-season games.

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