Pete Alonso accomplishes rare feat in Mets’ comeback victory

During Wednesday’s 6-5 win, Mets slugger Pete Alonso did something seen only five other times since the Statcast era began in 2015.

Apr 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The New York Mets narrowly avoided their second consecutive series loss in the finale of their six-game road trip on Wednesday, with Pete Alonso playing a pivotal role in their comeback victory over the Miami Marlins.

Alonso gave the Mets an early lead in the top of the first, splitting the right-center field gap with an RBI double that left the bat at 114.5 mph. He also led off the fourth with another hard-hit double, which had an exit velocity of 113.1 mph, but he was ultimately left stranded at third. 

The Polar Bear gets us going! 🐻‍❄️👏 pic.twitter.com/krYtDwEJpZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 2, 2025

Miami plated two runs (one earned) against Clay Holmes in the third and padded their lead with two more against left-hander A.J. Minter in the seventh. But just when it appeared the Mets were running out of time for a rally, their longtime slugger played the hero role once again. 

Trailing 4-1 in the eighth inning, Alonso stepped up to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. The nine-pitch at-bat concluded with a 113.4 mph rocket over the center field wall, tying the game at four. New York went on to win, 6-5, in extra innings. 

According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Alonso became just the sixth player in the Statcast era to record three hits with exit velocities of 113 mph or higher in a single game. The only other players to do that are Oneil Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Avisaíl García, Nelson Cruz, and Matt Davidson. 

Pete Alonso is the 6th player with 3 113+ mph base hits in a game under Statcast (2015), joining:

5/21/24 Oneil Cruz
6/15/22 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
4/12/19 Avisail Garcia
4/28/18 Nelson Cruz
3/29/18 Matt Davidson https://t.co/5zfMfQ4YCr

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 2, 2025

Alonso, 30, was among the last top free agents and first basemen to come off the board this past winter, settling for a two-year, $54 million deal (including an opt-out after 2025) in early February.

The four-time All-Star helped propel the Mets to the NLCS last October, posting a .999 OPS over 13 postseason games. However, his regular-season performance, the qualifying offer, and New York’s luxury tax situation all impacted his market.

Read More: Ex-Mets 1B Mo Vaughn offers advice to free agent first basemen

Over the past few seasons, Alonso’s OPS has dropped from .869 in 2022 to .821 in 2023 to a career-low .788 in 2024, prompting questions about how many prime years the slugger has left. That said, Alonso still ranked in the 93rd percentile in bat speed and the 89th percentile in barrel percentage last season, according to Statcast metrics. 

So far in 2025, the results have been encouraging, albeit in a very small sample size. Alonso is slashing .286/.423/.667 (1.090 OPS) with two home runs and eight RBIs through his first six games, batting directly behind Juan Soto in the lineup. 

"We know how much he means to this team, to this organization, to the fan base,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. “He's getting results now and that's what we expect out of him." 

With Wednesday’s game-tying blast, Alonso is now just 25 home runs away from breaking Darryl Strawberry’s franchise record. He has never hit fewer than 34 in a full season.