This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
On Tuesday, Pete Alonso, the 24-year-old rookie sensation for the New York Mets, made history by breaking the team's single-season home run record. He hit his 42nd home run of the season in a game against the Chicago Cubs.
Alonso's achievement surpasses the previous record of 41 home runs, which was shared by Todd Hundley in 1996 and Carlos Beltran in 2006. The Mets are the only team whose current single-season home run record was set by a rookie.
Beltran, who set the record in 2006, congratulated Alonso on his achievement, saying, "It's a pleasure to have a fine young player like Pete Alonso break my record." Hundley also weighed in, praising Alonso's hitting skills, saying, "To me, he's more than a power hitter, he's a pure hitter."
Alonso's record-breaking home run was his second in as many games, and it has put him in a strong position to break the Major League Baseball rookie record of 52 home runs, set by Aaron Judge in 2017. With a little over a month left in the season, Alonso will be looking to continue his impressive form and make history once again.
Alonso has been a key player in the Mets' resurgence this season, which has seen the team rise from a 40-50 record at the All-Star break to a 67-63 record and a spot in the wild-card playoff race. He has also won the Home Run Derby and led all rookies in runs scored, hits, walks, and runs batted in.
Alonso was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2016 draft, out of the University of Florida. He had a strong showing in the minor leagues last year, hitting 36 home runs and recording 119 runs batted in between Class AA and Class AAA. However, his defense was a concern, and his fate on the opening day roster was up in the air during spring training. He eventually earned a spot and started on opening day.
As the season continues, Alonso will be looking to break more records and make history for the Mets. However, the game's leaders have been accused of manipulating the production process to increase power hitting, and some standout pitchers have noted that the balls seem to have changed over the years.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has said that the balls seem to be more aerodynamic, but the league has not ordered any alterations in their production.
