New York Mets rookie first baseman Pete Alonso set a single-season franchise record when he hit his 42nd home run of the year on Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs.
Alonso, who took Cubs starter Yu Darvish deep in the fourth inning, told USA TODAY columnist and MLB Insider Bob Nightengale that this season has certainly been one to remember:
“This one stands alone,’’ he says. “It’s the one that goes into the history books. It’s very, very special to me.
“It’s nuts to think about.
“This whole season has been an absolute dream come true.’’
The Tampa, FL native broke the previous record of 41 homers set by Todd Hundley (1996) and Carlos Beltran (2006).
Hundley needed 153 games and 624 plate appearances to reach 41 bombs, while it took Beltran 140 games and 617 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Alonso set the record in just 130 games and needed 61 fewer plate appearances than Beltran.
Considering Alonso was not even considered a lock to make the Opening Day roster, his accomplishment is truly unprecedented.
Alonso was deemed one of New York's top minor league prospects heading into the year, but their were serious questions about his lack of athleticism at first base. However, Alonso tore through Spring Training. He hit four homers with an OPS close to 1.000, and his prodigious power proved impossible for the Mets to ignore.
Entering play on Wednesday, the 24-year-old ranked 24th in the majors in fWAR (4.2), eighth in wRC+ (148) and sixth in Adjusted OPS+ (152). In August, Alonso is slashing .300/.382/.633 with eight homers, and he has helped the Mets remain in the thick of the Wild Card chase.
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