The Same Home Run Swing from Alonso in his NY Return

Image Credit: MLB

BRONX, NY —  Pete Alonso returned to New York Friday night at Yankee Stadium in a different uniform then he had on before. This time was his first visit in the Bronx with the Baltimore Orioles, as his former team, the New York Mets, were playing across the country opposing the Angels.

“It’s awesome to come in wearing new colors,” he said prior to his Orioles losing the first of a four-game wrap-around series to the Yankees. “It’s like, ‘All right, instead of a crosstown rival, now we’re a divisional rival.”

The “Polar Bear” as he is known as spent the first seven years of his Major League Baseball career with the Mets, a popular fan-favorite and 2019 National League Rookie of the Year. Also, the 32-year-old right-handed slugger was named the recipient of the 2019 NL LatinoMVP Rookie of the Year, an honor to him that is still significant as his great grandfather was from Spain. 

But in New York again, this time as an opposing player with the Orioles. It was different and he knew leading up to it, questions would come regarding his former team that is struggling with the worst record in baseball. The questions about his departure from the Mets and signing a five-year/$155 million contract with the O’s.

There have been various and different accounts as to his Mets departure, money obviously played a role, though Mets owner Steve Cohen in his defense made a considerable offer previously (a seven-year, $158 million extension in June of 2023). Alonso, though, has never been one to surround himself in controversy on or off the field and this has always been considered a business decision, a part of baseball economics.

He opted out of the final year of a two-year/$54 million contract following a disappointing ending to the 2025 Mets season. The Orioles made an offer and the Mets did not. Furthermore, not even a final conversation was had with Cohen or David Stearns. Baltimore wanted the prolific home run hitter who had a good history of smacking balls out of Citi Field to replicate it at Camden Yards.

He said prior to the Yankees 7-2 win, “Both the Orioles as an organization and myself, I feel like we align and fit perfectly. When you have something good, you focus on it.”

The Mets, though, are an afterthought. His focus is being a difference-maker with an Orioles team that struggles a bit in the pitching department, at 15-17 and trailing the AL East division leading Yankees (21-11) by six games.

Regardless, Alonso still has a passion for New York. The fans were always on his bandwagon, Citi Field was also a place he could call home and Mets fans are still looking at one of their all-time franchise favorites as a friend, despite getting away as many do because baseball is a business like everything else.

“Waking up, walking around, I know I don’t live here anymore,” he said. “But also, being here for so long, it’s just (like being) back in the old neighborhood. It’s nice, obviously and being around familiar stuff, it’s cool and I’m excited. Excited to play today.”

And despite the Orioles’ loss on Friday, it was Alonso with a nice homecoming of sorts in the Bronx. A lead-off second inning home run went to the opposite field, landing in the second deck of the right field seats. A solo home run reminiscent of those prolific swings as the Mets’ all-time home run leader.

He would not bash the Mets for letting him get away, some say it was the President of Baseball Operations Stearns who would rather move on from Alonso, just like fan-favorites Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil while also allowing three-time LatinoMVP Reliever of the Year Edwin Díaz to take a record relief pitcher contract with the Dodgers.

It was typical of Alonso. Courteous with no bashing of his former bosses. He said his former team in a struggle still has time to recover with five months+ of baseball because it is a marathon.

“Things were progressing in a way with Baltimore and they were just like, ‘OK, all right.’” he said. “When you’re going through free agency and things are coming across, when things are so good, you don’t want to mess up the golden egg, sorta speak. I just wanted to nurture that flowering relationship.”

The Polar Bear landed in Baltimore. Off to a slow start, he has homered three times in the last eight games, this after leaving the yard once the first 15 games with the O’s. His fifth home run was the first against a right-hander, Yankees starter Will Warren.

The Orioles are hoping the home runs will now come in bunches as well as upping the batting average (.203) after a 1-2 night and two walks. The two runs scored were game tying, but Alonso has never hit for average. His home runs have always been a part of his repertoire.

“He’s showing flashes of the Pete Alonso we all know and love,” Baltimore’s manager Craig Albernaz said. “To me, it’s probably just getting used to change of scenery, but also getting into the flow of the season as well.”

But it won’t be a change of scenery when the Orioles visit the old neighborhood that belonged to Alonso—Citi Field in mid-September for a three-game series.

Then Alonso should expect a nice homecoming because Mets fans will cherish the memories and offer forgiveness because it’s about economics.

Then again, this was sort of that first homecoming and a home run that was all about Pete Alonso.

Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

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