Baltimore Orioles star first baseman Pete Alonso smashed a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth inning on Tuesday night at Citi Field, marking the 300th of his career and drawing a standing ovation from the road crowd. The Orioles went on to win in 11 innings, leaving New York Mets fans feeling “Just pain. It was pain everywhere.” The emotional blow came after the Mets didn’t even come close to offering Alonso the five-year, $155 million contract that Baltimore put on the table this past offseason, letting a true menace at the plate leave the franchise.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: What Mets Fans Gave Up
This wasn’t some solid player leaving town. Alonso’s clutch homer was a brutal reminder of the absolute beast he was for the Mets. He won two Home Run Derbies, in 2019 and 2021. Think about that power! He’s third in Mets history with 712 RBIs and his .516 slugging percentage also ranks third. In his final year with the Mets in 2025, Alonso was elite, ranking in the top-three percent of MLB in average exit velocity at 93.5 mph and top-four percent in hard-hit percentage at 54.4%, according to Statcast. He even ranked in the top-four percent of MLB in maximum exit velocity in all seven of his years with the Mets, hitting the top-one percent from 2019 to 2021. That’s consistent, raw power.
A True Mets Legend, Now Gone
Pete Alonso was more than a power hitter; he was a workhorse. He earned five All-Star nods and his .857 OPS is tied with Carlos Delgado for sixth in team history. Remember his 2019 rookie campaign? Alonso crushed 53 home runs, setting an MLB record for most homers by a rookie and also setting the single-season record for the Mets. He didn’t stop there, either, hitting 46 homers in 2023 for the second-most in a Mets season, and 40 in 2022, which ties him for sixth. He averaged a ridiculous 41.3 home runs per year with the Mets, excluding the short 2020 season. He also led the National League with 41 doubles in 2025, earning his first career Silver Slugger award. He simply produced, logging 118-plus RBIs in four seasons and holding the first, second, and tied for fifth spots in team history for single-season RBIs with 131 in 2022, 126 in 2025, and 120 in 2019.
It’s a hard pill for Mets fans to swallow. Alonso played at least 160 regular-season games in four of his six complete seasons and is one of only three Mets players ever to appear in 162 regular-season games, which he did twice in 2024 and 2025. His 264 home runs are first in Mets history. He tallied a franchise-record 348 total bases in 2019 and finished his Mets career with 580 runs, ranking eighth, and 1,942 total bases. For the Mets, watching Alonso continue his historic run from the opposing dugout has to be brutal. They face the rest of this season knowing the impact of their decision, while Alonso keeps adding to his legacy with the Orioles.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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