Pete Alonso to participate in Home Run Derby, looking for three-peat

Pete Alonso is one of the best sluggers in baseball and has had the opportunity to showcase his power over the past couple of All-Star breaks. The New York Mets first baseman has won two consecutive Home Run Derby events — one at Progressive Field in Cleveland and the other at Coors Field in Colorado.

Now, Alonso will be going for a three-peat in the near future.

Major League Baseball announced Alonso would be back in Home Run Derby, set to take place on July 18, the day before the All-Star game. This year’s event will take place at Dodger Stadium, with the ballpark hosting the home run fest for the first time in its storied history.

Pete Alonso is back in the Home Run Derby!

Will we see a Three-Pete? pic.twitter.com/YNbKPzeVlE

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2022

Alonso has provided some of the top Home Run Derby moments since participating the event. Back in 2021 at Coors Field, the man from the Big Apple hit 35 home runs in the first round. That’s the third most hit in a single round throughout the event’s history. Only Vladamier Guerrero Jr. and Joc Pederson have hit more, both doing so in 2019.

He also has the most home runs in Home Run Derby history and by quite a large margin. Alonso has seen 131 balls fly out of the ballpark, while Pederson is a distant second at 99. The list will only continue to grow for Mets slugger with his participation this year.

As for how Alonso is playing on the actual baseball diamond, he already has 23 home runs just past the midway point of the season. Only two players in the National League have more than Alonso but no other first baseman is close to the current home run king.

Only the legendary Ken Griffey Jr. has won the Home Run Derby three times in their career. But they were not all in consecutive fashion. If Alonso can once again lift the trophy in Los Angeles, he will be entering a rare club.