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Gators great Pete Alonso is new Mets home run king

On3 imageby: Keith Niebuhr08/13/25On3Keith
MLB: All Star-American League at National League
Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; National League first baseman Pete Alonso (20) of the New York Mets reacts in the fourth inning during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso started belting MLB home runs as a rookie in 2019 and he hasn’t stopped. Tuesday night, the former Florida Gators star hit two more to give him 254 in the majors, making him the all-time leader for the Mets.

The previous mark [252] had been held by former Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry for 37 years. Per MLB.com, “Alonso broke the record in 965 career games — 141 fewer than Strawberry.” Strawberry played for the Mets from 1983-90 and helped them win a world championship in 1986. He hit 335 home runs in total over 17 seasons.

“As a kid, you don’t really think that it’s in the realm of possibility to be a franchise home run leader,” Alonso told MLB.com. “It’s a wild dream, to be honest. And it’s really special.”

Pete Alonso and Darryl Strawberry both have ties to Tampa

Strawberry, who for years lived in Tampa—Pete Alonso’s hometown—was gracious after Alonso broke his record. “Hey, what’s up Pete, Darryl Strawberry here,” he said in a Tweet posted by the Mets. “I just want to say congratulations on breaking the home run record. Listen, you have worked hard. You have stood up in the pressure of New York City. And you have played well and it is well-deserved.”

Alonso, 30, still is relatively young. He “re-signed with the Mets on a two-year, $54 million contract in the offseason and will presumably have plenty of opportunities to add to his now-franchise-record home run tally,” Per Yahoo! Sports.

This is one of Alonso’s best seasons since his rookie year, when he batted .260, hit 53 homers and drove in 120. He’s currently hitting .267 with 28 home runs and 96 RBI. His RBI total ranks third in the majors.

Wrote Tyler Kepner of The Athletic: “The game has given plenty to Alonso, but he’s had to earn all of it; twice he won the home run derby to earn MLB’s $1 million prize. Which was more than his salary both seasons. He was the Mets’ second-round pick in 2016, after they’d selected two long-gone pitchers, Justin Dunn and Anthony Kay.

Alonso is the Mets’ version of Aaron Judge, who turned down a long-term contract offer from the Yankees on opening day in 2022, then set the American League single-season home run record. The Yankees rewarded Judge with a forever contract, and now it’s on Cohen and his baseball operations president, David Stearns, to do right by Alonso.”

Alonso played for the Gators from 2014-16. As a junior, he slashed .374/.469/.659 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs. That summer, the Mets selected him in the second round.

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