Former Florida Gators star Pete Alonso entered Friday’s matchup with the Miami Marlins hitting below the Mendoza Line (.192), but left the game with a little history.
The two-time All-Star crushed a homer to center to put the Mets ahead 9-3 in the eighth inning. The homer was the 150th of Alonso’s career, making him the second fastest player to reach the milestone in MLB history. In his fifth year, Alonso has played in 538 games, while the record is 495 games by the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard.
Pete Alonso hit his 150th career home run in his 538th career game. He’s the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 150 career home runs. Only Ryan Howard reached that number in fewer games. pic.twitter.com/dyBy1KiOPB
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 7, 2023
Alonso entered the game with just five hits in seven games but hit his fourth homer as the Mets rolled to victory.
The Mets drafted the UF standout in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He is a two-time home run derby winner and was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when he hit 53 homers and drove in 120 runs.