Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Pete Alonso

Discover the career path of Pete Alonso, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Peter Morgan Alonso, nicknamed "Polar Bear", is an American professional baseball first baseman. He plays for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). Alonso has also represented the United States internationally. He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1900: Extra base hits record since 1900

In 2019, Alonso became the first player in MLB history since 1900 with 11 extra-base hits in his first 10 career games.

1938: Rookie to set franchise's single-season home run record since 1938

On August 27, Alonso became the first rookie to set his franchise's single-season home run record since Johnny Rizzo did it for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938.

1975: Player Appeared in every Game in a Single Season

In 2024, Alonso played in all 162 games for the Mets, making him the second player in Mets history to appear in every game in a single-season, after Félix Millán in 1975.

1976: Tied Mets Player Home Run Record Before May 1

In April 2019, Alonso tied Dave Kingman's 1976 record with nine home runs, the most by a Mets player before May 1.

1976: Tied Dave Kingman's Record

On July 7, 2019, Alonso became the second player in Mets history to hit the most home runs (30) before the All-Star break, tying Dave Kingman's 1976 record.

1979: Lee Mazzilli homered in the All-Star Game

In 1979, Lee Mazzilli became the first Met to homer in the MLB All-Star Game.

1983: Broke Darryl Strawberry's Mets Rookie Home Run Record

On June 23, 2019, Alonso broke the Mets rookie home run record, previously set by Darryl Strawberry in 1983, with his 27th home run.

September 18, 1990: Darryl Strawberry reached 250 home runs

On September 18, 1990, Darryl Strawberry reached his 250th career home run, a feat that Pete Alonso would later match in his career.

1999: Former Mets RBI Record

In 2022, Alonso drove in 5 runs, setting a new Mets' single-season RBI record with 125, breaking Mike Piazza's 1999 record.

2006: David Wright homered in the All-Star Game

In 2006, David Wright became the second Met to homer in the MLB All-Star Game.

2006: Tied Mets Player Home Run Record Before May 1

In April 2019, Alonso tied Carlos Delgado's 2006 record with nine home runs, the most by a Mets player before May 1.

2008: Former Mets RBI Record

In 2022, Alonso drove in 5 runs, setting a new Mets' single-season RBI record with 125, breaking David Wright's 2008 record.

2013: Tied Mets Player Home Run Record Before May 1

In April 2019, Alonso tied John Buck's 2013 record with nine home runs, the most by a Mets player before May 1.

2014: Played with the Madison Mallards

In 2014, Alonso played collegiate summer baseball with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League.

2015: Played for the Bourne Braves

In the summer of 2015, Alonso played for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

2016: Signed with the Mets and Professional Debut

In 2016, Alonso signed with the Mets for a $909,200 signing bonus and made his professional debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones.

2016: Drafted by the Mets

In 2016, Alonso was selected by the New York Mets in the MLB draft after playing college baseball for the Florida Gators.

2016: Junior Year Statistics

In 2016, during his junior year, Alonso had a batting average of .374, an on-base percentage of .469, and a slugging percentage of .659, with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs in 58 games.

2016: Tied Mets Player Home Run Record Before May 1

In April 2019, Alonso tied Neil Walker's 2016 record with nine home runs, the most by a Mets player before May 1.

2017: Promotion to Binghamton Rumble Ponies

In 2017, after playing for the St. Lucie Mets, Alonso was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

2018: All-Star Futures Game and Joe Bauman Home Run Award

In 2018, Alonso represented the Mets in the All-Star Futures Game and won the Joe Bauman Home Run Award. He played for Binghamton and the Las Vegas 51s, slashing .285/.395/.579 with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs.

2019: Breaks Rookie Home Run Record, Wins Rookie of the Year, Named to All-MLB Team

In 2019, Alonso broke the rookie home run record with 53 home runs, led MLB in home runs, was awarded the National League Rookie of the Year on November 11, and was named to the first team of the inaugural All-MLB Team on December 10.

2019: MLB Debut and Rookie of the Year

In 2019, Alonso made his MLB debut on Opening Day and subsequently won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, setting a major league record for rookies with 53 home runs.

2019: MLB Debut and First Home Run

In 2019, Alonso made the Mets Opening Day roster as the starting first baseman. He recorded his first major league hit on March 28 and hit his first major league home run on April 1 against the Miami Marlins.

2019: Received the nickname "Polar Bear"

In 2019, during spring training, Pete Alonso earned the nickname "Polar Bear" from Mets third baseman Todd Frazier, who said Alonso looked like a "big, damn polar bear."

2019: All-Star Selection and Rookie of the Month Award

In June 2019, Alonso was selected as a reserve to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game and won the NL Rookie of the Month Award for June.

2019: Newsday Reported Base Salary Earnings 2019-2021

Newsday's Tim Healey noted that Alonso earned $1.47 million in base salary from 2019 to 2021.

2019: Home Run Derby Win

On July 8, 2019, Alonso won the Home Run Derby, defeating Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and becoming the second rookie to win the Derby outright.

September 3, 2020: First Career Walk-Off Home Run

On September 3, 2020, Alonso hit his first career walk-off home run in a 9–7 victory against the New York Yankees.

2020: Formed The Alonso Foundation

In 2020, Pete Alonso and his wife formed The Alonso Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting youth, veteran, and animal causes.

2021: Home Run Derby Win

In 2021, Alonso won the MLB Home Run Derby for the second time.

2021: Talent Evaluators favored Dominic Smith

In 2021, Alonso's sophomore slump coupled with a second consecutive breakout season from Dominic Smith led some talent evaluators to favor the latter as the team's starting first baseman heading into the season.

2021: Second Straight Home Run Derby Win

On July 12, 2021, Alonso won his second straight Home Run Derby, defeating Trey Mancini. He became the third player ever to win back-to-back Derbies, and the fourth to win two.

2021: 100th Career Home Run

On September 7, 2021, Alonso hit his 100th career home run, becoming the second-fastest player to reach this milestone. He played in 152 games for the Mets.

March 22, 2022: Signed Contract with Mets

On March 22, 2022, Alonso signed a one-year, $7.4 million contract with the Mets, avoiding salary arbitration.

August 17, 2022: Announced participation in the 2023 World Baseball Classic

On August 17, 2022, Pete Alonso announced that he would join the United States national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, marking his involvement in international competition.

2022: Led the league in Runs Batted In

In 2022, Alonso led the league in runs batted in.

2022: Franchise Record and Most RBIs in Major Leagues

In 2022, Alonso set a franchise record, breaking the franchise record and tying Aaron Judge for the most RBIs in the major leagues.

2022: All-Star Game Selection and Mets Single-Season RBI Record

In 2022, Alonso was named to the MLB All-Star Game and set a new Mets' single-season RBI record with 125. He broke the record on September 25.

January 13, 2023: Contract Agreement with Mets

On January 13, 2023, Alonso and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $14.5 million contract during the arbitration period.

2023: Tied Howard Johnson for 4th Place on Mets All-Time Home Run List

In 2023, Alonso's 192nd career homer made him tie Howard Johnson for 4th place on the Mets all-time home run list.

2023: Played in the World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Pete Alonso participated in the World Baseball Classic, going 2-for-14 across five games. He notably started an eighth-inning rally with a base hit against Venezuela in the quarterfinals and later hit an RBI single against Cuba in the semifinals.

2023: All-Star Game Selection

On July 2, 2023, Alonso was named to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game for the third selection of his career.

January 11, 2024: Contract Agreement with Mets

On January 11, 2024, the Mets and Alonso agreed on a one-year, $20.5 million contract to avoid salary arbitration.

2024: Contract expired and became a free agent

After the 2024 season, Pete Alonso's contract with the Mets expired, and he became a free agent for the first time in his career. The Mets offered him a qualifying offer, but he declined it.

2024: Played All 162 Games

In 2024, Alonso played in all 162 games for the Mets, making him the second player in Mets history to appear in every game in a single-season.

2024: Game 3, NL Wild Card Series, Go-Ahead Home Run

On October 3, 2024, in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Alonso hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the top of the 9th inning to give the Mets a 3–2 lead and eliminate the Brewers from the playoffs.

February 12, 2025: Agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets

On February 12, 2025, Pete Alonso and the Mets agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract, which included an opt-out clause after the 2025 season, after three months of negotiations with his agent Scott Boras.

November 3, 2025: Opted out of 2026 contract and became a free agent

On November 3, 2025, Pete Alonso officially opted out of his 2026 contract with the Mets and became a free agent, exploring new opportunities in his baseball career.

December 11, 2025: Signed a five-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles

On December 11, 2025, Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles, marking a new chapter in his baseball career.

December 2025: Changed Jersey Number

In December 2025, after Pete Alonso joined the Orioles, he announced he was changing his number from #20 to #25, in honor of the birth of his son in 2025.

2025: Played all 162 games, won Silver Slugger, opted out of contract

In 2025, Pete Alonso played in all 162 games for the Mets, achieving a .272/.347/.524 slash line with 38 home runs and 126 RBI. He also led the National League with 41 doubles, earning him his first Silver Slugger award. On September 28, 2025, after the final game of the season, Alonso announced his decision to opt out of his contract and elect free agency.

2025: Named to MLB All-Star Game and hit a three-run home run

In 2025, Pete Alonso was named to the MLB All-Star Game for the fifth time in his career. During the sixth inning on July 6, 2025, Alonso hit a three-run home run off of Kris Bubic, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, giving the National League a 5-0 lead. He became the third Met to homer in the All-Star Game.