Mets Star Pete Alonso’s Sub-Par Home Run Derby Performance Celebrated by MLB Legend

One MLB icon was stoked to see Pete Alonso get eliminated in the first round of the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby.

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

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso produced the worst MLB Home Run Derby performance of his career on Monday. 

The “Polar Bear” was eliminated from the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby (his fifth career time participating in the All-Star Week event) after hitting 12 home runs, which was the derby’s second-lowest total. 

Before Monday, Alonso had never hit less than 23 home runs in a single derby.

Alonso has also taken part in the 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Home Run Derby, and won both the 2019 and 2021 events.

Therefore, if Alonso had won in 2024, he would have tied baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the most MLB Home Run Derby victories, with three. 

This is why Griffey was happy to see how Alonso performed in 2024. 

NJ.com’s Jimmy Hascup wrote a July 18 article on how ESPN broadcaster Eduardo Perez revealed a text conversation between him and Griffey Jr. on a recent Baseball Tonight podcast episode, “As soon as Pete Alonso was eliminated, [Griffey Jr. was] texting me.

"And he goes, ‘I’m still the only three-time (winner).’”

Griffey Jr. won his three MLB Home Run Derby titles in 1994 (Pittsburgh), 1998 (Colorado), and 1999 (Boston). 

While the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame inductee might have been celebrating Alonso’s performance on Monday, he likely wasn’t happy to hear that Alonso plans to keep participating in the Home Run Derby.

“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.” 

"There's definitely more in there."

Pete Alonso says he would do the Home Run Derby again: pic.twitter.com/wvV8nsUObz

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 16, 2024

So, Alonso will have plenty more opportunities to get the last laugh on Griffey Jr., as he aims to tie and potentially break the Hall of Famer's Derby record.