New York Mets Slugger Pete Alonso Goes Yard For 200th Career Home Run
In near record-time, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has officially hit 200 career home runs.
Alonso stepped up to the plate with two outs in the fifth inning of the Mets' showdown with the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. New York was down 6-2, and naturally it was up to Alonso to cut into the deficit.
After fouling off the first pitch of the at-bat, Alonso got a hold of an outside fastball and sent it flying. With an exit velocity of 107.7 miles per hour and a launch angle of 24 degrees, Alonso's two-run shot went 403 feet to right center.
Alonso reached 200 career home runs in his 710th MLB appearance. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, that is the fourth-fewest games to 200 home runs in league history.
Ryan Howard owns the record, joining the club in 658 games, while Aaron Judge did it in 671. It took Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner 706 games to hit 200 homers.
The Mets went on to lose 7-4 on Saturday, but it was still a memorable milestone for Alonso.
Alonso made his big league debut in 2019 at the age of 24. He has missed just 24 games in the six seasons since then, becoming a staple in the Mets' lineup through thick and thin.
For his career, Alonso is a .251 hitter with 200 home runs, 512 RBI, an .868 OPS and a 17.7 WAR. He leads the National League in home runs and RBI over the past six years, ranking second with 1,389 total bases.
Alonso ranks fourth on the Mets' all-time home runs leaderboards. He needs 20 more home runs to match Mike Pizza for third, 42 more to tie David Wright for second and 53 to pass Darryl Strawberry for the most in team history.
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