Inside The Mets

Mets’ Pete Alonso Breaks Silence on ‘Disappointing’ Home Run Derby Performance

Pete Alonso spoke out about his lackluster Home Run Derby outing on Monday.

Grant Young

Jul 15, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; National League first baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets (20) reacts during the 2024 Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 15, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; National League first baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets (20) reacts during the 2024 Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso competed in his fifth MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night.

After winning the event in 2019 and 2021, Alonso was looking to join baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. as the only other three-time Home Run Derby champion in MLB history.

Alas, Alonso put on the poorest derby performance of his career. 

The “Polar Bear” was bounced from the competition after one round, hitting 12 home runs. The only player who hit less than Alonso was Baltimore Orioles’ sensation Gunnar Henderson, who finished the contest with 11 big flies. 

Alonso spoke with the media after his performance. When asked what went wrong during the event, he said, “I just didn’t think I squared up enough baseballs at the right launch angle,” per the New York Post. 

“Obviously, I didn’t put my best foot forward today and it’s disappointing,” Alonso added. “But, for me, it’s just a blessing and so much fun being out here. I’m out here competing but at the end of the day it wasn’t my day and I hope whoever the winner is they enjoy it.” 

Alonso was being thrown to by former Mets hitting coach Dave Jauss. Jauss, 67, threw for Alonso during both the 2021 derby (which he won) and also during the 2022 derby in Los Angeles.

The Home Run Derby’s color commentators Eduardo Perez and Todd Frazier noted that Jauss was throwing the ball especially soft to Alonso and that many of the pitches were jamming the slugger.

Although Alonso made it clear that Monday’s performance won’t stop him from competing in the event again.

“This is an event that I’ve really admired since I was a kid, so I’m basically doing it for my seven or eight-year-old self,” he said, per SNY. “It’s a blessing to be out here and to perform, it’s a super fun event and I love competing in it, so yeah there’s definitely more in there.” 

Alonso can redeem himself during Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

Home/News