QUEENS, NY \u2014 After the winter of discontent that was Pete Alonso\u2019s foray into free agency, spring is proving to be far more fruitful.
\nThe slugging first baseman was greeted with a hero\u2019s welcome from fans at Citi Field during the New York Mets\u2019 home opener on Friday \u2014 his first time back in his long-time home since an offseason that legitimately threatened to end his time in Queens.
\n\u201cThis is home for him,\u201d star shortstop Francisco Lindor said. \u201cThis is home.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his first at-bat with one out in the bottom of the first, Alonso punched his third home run in four games the other way over the right-field fence, a two-run shot, to jumpstart the Mets in their 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
\nAn appreciative crowd, whose stance on the Polar Bear\u2019s return remained unwavering, then implored for a curtain call, to which Alonso complied.<\/p>\n
Apr 4, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
\n\u201cIt was sick,\u201d Alonso said. \u201cThat type of stuff is what you dream about as a kid, and to have that type of support being reciprocated, it\u2019s really special. I enjoyed every second of it\u2026 It was very, very special. Very picturesque, very storybook-like.\u201d<\/p>\n
While this is not the ending of the story, the temporary resolution that came in the form of a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out after this season has restored the good vibes in the Mets\u2019 clubhouse.
\nAlonso is at the heart of one of the more imposing lineups in all of baseball batting behind Lindor and Juan Soto \u2014 the latter picking up a run-scoring double in the win on Friday for his first Citi Field hit and RBI.
\nThe early returns could not be much better. After having a career-worst season (34 home runs, .788 OPS), Alonso has 10 RBI to go with those three round-trippers, and a 1.183 OPS in his first seven games of the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why they call him the Polar Bear,\u201d Soto said. \u201cHe has tremendous power.\u201d
\nAnd to think, there was a legitimate possibility that Alonso\u2019s days as a Met were numbered. \u201cExhausting\u201d negotiations, as owner Steve Cohen put it, left the club in a stalemate with Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras, while other teams like the Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox lurked.
\nIn January, reports emerged that the Mets were preparing to move on from the 30-year-old, who is now just 24 dingers from breaking the franchise\u2019s all-time home-run record.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t want to imagine it,\u201d Alonso\u2019s long-time teammate and left fielder, Brandon Nimmo, said. \u201cBut there was a time this offseason where things were getting pretty sticky there at the end. We were definitely worried, but I\u2019m glad we don\u2019t have to worry about that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
The return of Pete Alonso to the Mets has been a storybook start, with the first baseman hitting a home run in his first game back at Citi Field. The good vibes are back in the clubhouse, and the team is looking forward to a successful season. Alonso’s decision to return to the Mets was based on his desire to win and his love for the team and the city. With his impressive start to the season, Alonso is on pace for a monstrous campaign.<\/p>\n
Q: What was the outcome of Pete Alonso’s first game back at Citi Field?
\nA: Pete Alonso hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat and the Mets won 5-0 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
\nQ: What was the reaction of the crowd to Alonso’s return?
\nA: The crowd gave Alonso a hero’s welcome and implored for a curtain call after his home run.
\nQ: What is Alonso’s current contract with the Mets?
\nA: Alonso signed a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out after this season.
\nQ: How has Alonso performed so far this season?
\nA: Alonso has 10 RBI, three home runs, and a 1.183 OPS in his first seven games of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Pete Alonso’s Return The Homecoming QUEENS, NY \u2014 After the winter of discontent that was Pete Alonso\u2019s foray into free agency, spring is proving to be far more fruitful. The slugging first baseman was greeted with a hero\u2019s welcome from fans at Citi Field during the New York Mets\u2019 home opener on Friday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":15550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15549","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-04-04T195942Z_636078208_MT1USATODAY25845592_RTRMADP_3_MLB-TORONTO-BLUE-JAYS-AT-NEW-YORK-METS.jpg?w=384&w=384&resize=384,256&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15549"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15549"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15551,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15549\/revisions\/15551"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}