New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso hit his 50th home run in his 152nd game of the season, which set a new MLB record by becoming the fastest player to hit 50 home runs.
Alonso leads the majors in home runs, and he’s the only player to hit 50 this season. The rookie first baseman already holds the Mets franchise record for most home runs in a season. Alonso also holds the NL rookie record. He’s currently eyeing the MLB rookie record of 52 home runs, set by NY Yankees RF Aaron Judge in 2017.
“Pete’s a wonderful player,” said Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “He’s a leader in every sense of the world, and he’s a leader on the field as well with the 50 homers.”
Alonso, the home run king, is one of the biggest surprises of a tumultuous year for the New York Mets. Alonso quickly became the King of Queens after an auspicious start to the season. He made noise from the beginning of the Spring, and his power surge continued through the summer. Even when manager Mickey Callaway’s job came under fire, Alonso kept his head down, and kept hammering away long balls.
With a little more than a week remaining in the season, Alonso has a chance to catch Yankee giant and crosstown rival, Aaron Judge.
“I don’t think this is truly going to settle in until I take time to reflect in the offseason,” Alonso told beat reporters after the game.
A special moment for a special player. â„ï¸ðŸ» pic.twitter.com/lGOdlSMwzm
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 21, 2019
Not Dead Yet, Cy de Grom
The Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds last night to start a three-game series. Jacob de Grom threw seven shutout innings to extend his scoreless innings streak to 16 innings.
de Grom is in the thick of the NL Cy Young race with only a 10-8 record because he boasts a 2.51 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 248 strikeouts. LA Dodgers pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu has the inside track with a 12-5 record and 2.35 ERA, with a 1.03 WHIP.
It’s been a weird and insane ride for the Mets pitching staff. Both de Grom and Syndergaard were on the trading block. Instead of giving up their big arms, the Mets made a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. The move right before the trade deadline baffled many pundits and fans alike. The Yankees were in desperate need for a starter at the time, but the Mets swooped in to grab Stroman. Instead of the Bronx, Stroman packed his bags for Queens instead.
Despite the scoreless streak, de Grom would rather advance to the postseason.
“Getting to the playoffs is the main goal,” said a humble de Grom. “Hopefully getting to that wild-card game, and having a chance to win that and move on.”
Coming into the penultimate week of play, the NL wild card boiled down to a three-way race between the Christian Yelich-less Brewers, Cubs, and Nationals.
However, the NY Mets are not exactly eliminated from the Race. The Mets are only 3.5 games back. They need a miraculous run to secure a wild-card spot. The Amazin’ Mets must run the table and win out their games. They also hope the Cubbies, Nats, and Brewers run out of gas. As a super long shot at best, the Mets are not giving up.
