Pete Alonso’s NL rookie home run record is a remarkable achievement, and New York Mets legend Mike Piazza has kind words for the rookie.
On Sunday, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso made history yet again in his young career. Alonso smacked his 40th home run of the year and broke the National League rookie record for single-season home runs, previously set by Cody Bellinger (39) in 2017.
Alonso is one of the rising stars in baseball, and legendary Mets catcher Mike Piazza hopes it’s not the first record he’ll break.
Special Congrats to @Pete_Alonso20 on the NL rookie HR record, hopefully the first of many records for you, stay focused and never stop trying to get better! #LGM #LFGM
— Mike Piazza (@mikepiazza31) August 20, 2019
Along with the record, Alonso won the Home Run Derby back in early July. He ultimately beat out Toronto Blue Jays slugger Valdimir Guerrero Jr. in the championship round.
The rookie is currently fourth in all of baseball in home runs. Cody Bellinger (42), Mike Trout (41), and Christian Yelich (41) are the only players ahead of him in those regards.
With 95 RBIs and a slash line of .271/.375/.604, Alonso is a big reason why the Mets have found themselves hovering around an NL Wild Card berth. Entering Tuesday, they’re only 2.0 games back in the standings, with a 64-60 record.
Not to mention, New York has moved into third place in the NL East. They’re currently tied with the Philadelphia Phillies and only trailing the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.
The Mets just came off a six-game road trip, having split the set of games 3-3. They return to Citi Field to undergo a nine-game homestand on Tuesday against some staunch competition. The Mets will face the Cleveland Indians, Braves, and Chicago Cubs.
