History of Pete Alonso in Timeline
Peter Morgan Alonso, nicknamed "Polar Bear," is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a first baseman for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). His MLB debut took place in 2019.
1900: Record for Extra-Base Hits
Pete Alonso became the first player in MLB history since 1900 with 11 extra-base hits in his first 10 career games.
1938: Mets All-Time Single-Season Home Run Leader
Pete Alonso became the Mets all-time single-season home run leader, surpassing Carlos Beltrán and Todd Hundley. He is the first rookie to set his franchise's single-season home run record since Johnny Rizzo did it for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938.
1976: Most Home Runs Before the All-Star Break
Pete Alonso became the second player in Mets history to hit the most home runs before the All-Star break, after Dave Kingman (1976).
1983: Broke Mets Rookie Home Run Record
Pete Alonso broke the Mets rookie home run record, previously set by Darryl Strawberry in 1983.
December 7, 1994: Birth of Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso was born on December 7, 1994.
2014: Played in the Northwoods League
Pete Alonso played collegiate summer baseball with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League in 2014.
2015: Meeting Haley Walsh
Pete Alonso and Haley Walsh first met in the summer of 2015 while Alonso was playing baseball in the Cape Cod collegiate summer league.
2015: Played in the Cape Cod Baseball League
Pete Alonso played for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2015.
2016: Drafted by the Mets
Pete Alonso was drafted by the New York Mets in 2016.
2016: Successful Junior Year at Florida
In 2016, Pete Alonso had a successful junior year at the University of Florida, hitting .374/.469/.659 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs in 58 games.
2017: Promoted to Binghamton Rumble Ponies
After a successful stint with the St. Lucie Mets, Pete Alonso was promoted to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of the Class AA Eastern League in August 2017.
November 2018: Engagement to Haley Walsh
After several years of dating, Pete Alonso and Haley Walsh got engaged in November 2018.
2018: Represented the Mets in the All-Star Futures Game
Pete Alonso represented the Mets in the 2018 All-Star Futures Game.
2019: Home Run Derby Earnings
Newsday Mets beat writer Tim Healey noted Alonso has earned $2 million from winning the Home Run Derby twice while making $1.47 million from 2019–2021 in base salary while playing for the Mets.
2019: MLB Debut
Pete Alonso made his MLB debut in 2019.
2019: First MLB Hit and Home Run
Pete Alonso recorded his first major league hit on March 28, 2019, and hit his first home run on April 1, 2019.
September 3, 2020: First Career Walk-Off Home Run
Pete Alonso hit his first career walk-off home run on September 3, 2020.
2020: Establishment of The Alonso Foundation
In 2020, Pete Alonso and his wife, Haley, founded The Alonso Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting youth, veterans, and animal causes.
2020: Performance in the Shortened Season
In the 2020 season shortened by COVID-19, Alonso played in 57 of the 60 games and batted .231/.326/.490 with 16 home runs and 35 RBIs.
November 12, 2021: Marriage to Haley Walsh
Alonso married Haley Walsh on November 12, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. The couple had met in 2015 and became engaged in November 2018.
2021: Competition for Starting Position
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 2021 season.
2021: Second Home Run Derby Win
Pete Alonso won his second Home Run Derby in 2021.
March 13, 2022: Car Accident
Pete Alonso was involved in a serious car accident on March 13, 2022, in Tampa, Florida, when his vehicle was hit by another driver and flipped over multiple times. Fortunately, neither Alonso nor anyone else involved sustained any injuries.
March 22, 2022: Contract Signing and First Grand Slam
On March 22, 2022, Pete Alonso signed a $7.4 million contract with the Mets, avoiding salary arbitration. Later in the season, on April 9, he hit his first career grand slam against the Washington Nationals.
August 17, 2022: World Baseball Classic Participation
On August 17, 2022, Alonso announced he would be joining the United States national baseball team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
2022: Franchise Record for RBIs
During the 2022 season, Alonso had an impressive batting performance, hitting 40 home runs and driving in a league-leading 131 RBIs, which also set a new franchise record for the Mets.
2022: All-Star Selection, Home Run Derby, and RBI Record
In 2022, Alonso was named to the MLB All-Star Game for the second time in his career and participated in the Home Run Derby, reaching the semifinals. On September 25, 2022, he set a new Mets' single-season RBI record with 125, breaking the previous record held by Mike Piazza (1999) and David Wright (2008).
2022: Led the League in RBIs
In 2022, Pete Alonso led the league in runs batted in (RBIs).
2023: Salary Agreement and 150th Home Run
Alonso agreed to a $14.5 million salary for the 2023 season with the Mets. On April 7, 2023, he hit his 150th career home run, moving him into sixth place on the Mets' all-time home run list. He achieved this milestone faster than any player except Ryan Howard.
2023: 2023 Season Performance
In 2023, Alonso had another strong season, batting .217/.318/.504 with 46 home runs and 118 RBI for the Mets.
2023: Key Contributions in World Baseball Classic
In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Alonso had a key hit against Venezuela in the quarterfinals to start a rally and drove in a run against Cuba in the semifinals.
January 11, 2024: Contract Agreement and 500th RBI
On January 11, 2024, Alonso and the Mets agreed on a one-year, $20.5 million contract, avoiding salary arbitration. Later in the season, on April 4, 2024, Alonso hit a home run to record his 500th career RBI, becoming the 10th and fastest player in Mets' history to reach that milestone. For his performance, he was awarded NL Player of the Week on April 15th.
2024: Inducted into the Madison Mallards Hall of Fame
Pete Alonso was inducted into the Madison Mallards Hall of Fame in 2024.