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Former Florida Gators and Current New York Mets all-star, Pete Alonso, hit his 53rd home run of the season, setting new rookie season record. Alonso broke the record set by Aaron Judge in 2017. It’s safe to say the crowd went insane.
The most homers EVER by a rookie.
Take it all in, @Pete_Alonso20. pic.twitter.com/mfVA5UESx9
— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2019
In the bottom of the 3rd inning with the Mets leading the Atlanta Brave 2-0, Alonso mashed a two-seam fastball by Mike Foltynewicz into right-center field. The pitch was almost perfectly down the middle. Alonso raised pointed his index fingers to the sky then low-fived first-base coach Rubén Amaro Jr.
As he crossed home plate, Alonso signaled with his arms for the crowd to get louder. Alonso would give the Mets a 3-0 lead, which would be the final score.
Alonso’s family was in the stands to see it as well.
“He’s not moved to tears often,” his mother, Michelle, said on the Fox telecast. “So for him to feel that reward and be moved to tears, that warms my heart because I was certainly falling in my seat at the moment at the same time. It was a family cryfest.”
Aaron Judge, the former record holder, has yet to comment as of the writing of this article. Judge did have praise for Alonso when he tied the record the game before.
“There’s no better person to share it with,” Judge said to the New York Post after Alonso hit 52, the mark Judge set just two years ago. “He’s eventually going to break it. I know that, for sure.”
There are two games left in the Mets regular season. There is still time for Alonso to pad his record before his rookie season belongs to history.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
