NEW YORK — Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, the odds-on favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year, reached another milestone Tuesday, setting the single-season franchise record by hitting his 42nd home run.
Alonso, 24, took an outside fastball from Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish deep to right field to lead off the fourth inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Alonso is the first rookie to set the franchise mark for his team since Johnny Rizzo did it for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938.
Alonso got a curtain call for his record-setting blast, which gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The previous franchise mark of 41 home runs was set by Carlos Beltran in 2006 and Todd Hundley in 1996.
“It’s a pleasure to have a fine young player like Pete Alonso break my record,” Beltran said in a statement. “I have not met Pete personally, but people have told me he plays the game with passion and doesn’t give up on any at-bat. He has had great success in his first year. Again, my congrats, Pete.”
Hundley also praised Alonso in a statement Tuesday night.
“To me, he’s more than a power hitter, he’s a pure hitter,” Hundley said. “I have seen five or six of his games and he keeps getting better and better. He has just had a tremendous year. Congrats, Pete, you deserve all the records you have broken.”
Earlier this month, Alonso set the National League rookie record for homers in a season, previously set by the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger in 2017. The New York Yankees‘ Aaron Judge holds the major league record for home runs in a season by a rookie, with 52 in 2017.