Pete Alonso returned to Citi Field on Monday with the Baltimore Orioles after seven seasons with the New York Mets, for whom he was arguably the face of the team.
Batting second for Baltimore, Alonso received a standing ovation from the crowd as his walk-up song “Layla” played over the ballpark loudspeakers. Alonso acknowledged the cheers by taking off his helmet and tipping it to the crowd.
Before the first pitch, fans chanted Alonso’s name in appreciation for his seven seasons in Queens. The Mets also played a tribute video to their longtime slugger as fans and his former teammates applauded.
The chants continued as the game started and Alonso flew out to right field in his first at-bat.
In his seven seasons with the Mets, Alonso recorded a .253/.341/.516 slash line wth 264 home runs and 712 RBI. He won National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, when he hit 53 homers.
That was one of three seasons during which Alonso hit 40 or more home runs for the Mets. He was also named to five NL All-Star teams during his time in Queens.
Former teammate Francisco Lindor anticipated a warm greeting from Mets fans for Alonso. Lindor joined the crowd in applauding Alonso before his first at-bat.
“It better be electric,” Lindor told the New York Post’s Dan Martin. “I hope people go crazy for him. He deserves it.”
“He was a great teammate. A great person,” Lindor added. “I wish him nothing but the best, good luck and have fun. Then we’ve got to play.”
The Mets got into the postseason twice during Alonso’s tenure and he hit the biggest home run of his career in the decisive Game 3 of the 2024 NL wild-card playoff series, taking Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams deep to the opposite field for a 3-run shot in the ninth inning and an eventual 4-2 win.
Following the victory over the Brewers, the Mets went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series before losing to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.
Alonso signed a five-year, $130 million contract with the Orioles, opting out of a two-year deal he inked with the Mets after being unable to find a long-term contract with a team during the 2024 offseason. Knowing he could earn a better deal with a good season, Alonso hit 38 homers with 41 doubles and 126 RBI, playing in all 162 games.
Speaking with reporters before Monday’s game, Alonso said he didn’t take it personally that the Mets didn’t show as much interest during free agency as the Orioles. Rather, he appreciated Baltimore “putting in a tremendous effort” and saw going to the Orioles as a “really good opportunity.”
in Baltimore, Alonso is in another playoff race and he’s helped that push by slashing .333/.407/.619 with 9 home runs and 22 RBI in August. Overall, he has a .269/.363/.499 slash average with 35 homers and 100 RBI, the fifth time in his MLB career that he’s reached those numbers.
The Orioles came into Monday’s game four games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the AL’s third wild-card playoff spot (with the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers ahead of them in the standings).
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