On this date in 2016, the Mets drafted first baseman Peter Alonso in the second round from the University of Florida. Yup, remember that he used to go by Peter. Well, he’s hit a lot of big league home runs since making the change to Pete.

The Tampa native started his pro career with a bang for the Brooklyn Cyclones. Alonso had 18 extra-base hits, 21 RBIs, and a .969 OPS in 30 games for the Cyclones in a home park known for suppressing power.

His next season in 2017, Alonso played in full-season ball for the first time with the A-Ball St. Lucie Mets and Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He had 27 doubles, 18 home runs, and a .883 OPS in 93 games between the two Mets affiliates.

Then came the big-time power from Alonso in 2018. Alonso had 12 home runs and an OPS over 1.000 for Binghamton in 65 games to start the season. Alonso, still known as Peter at the time, put himself in the national spotlight when he hit a monster home run in the Futures Game. He then finished off the season with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs in 67 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. He hit 36 home runs, knocked in 119, and had a .975 OPS in his final minor league season.

The Mets then made the right call heading into the 2019 season by ignoring service time and having Alonso start with the big league squad. All Alonso would do is set the major league rookie record and obliterate the Mets single-season record with 53 home runs that year.

Alonso’s power would slip a bit over his next two seasons, with exactly 53 home runs in 209 games between the shortened 2020 season and the 2021 season.

The elite-level power is back in 2022 though, he is currently tied for the NL home run lead with 16 and is tied for the major league lead with 54 RBIs. Alonso also has a 158 OPS+, which would be a career-high. His .282 AVG and .363 OBP would be career-highs as well.

Since his debut in 2019, Alonso is far-and-away the home run leader with 122 and is second in the majors with 303 RBIs. Alonso is already tied with Kevin McReynolds for 10th on the Mets’ home run leaderboard and if he hits at least 33 more home runs this season (on pace for 43 total) he would be fifth in Mets history going into the 2023 season.

Six years ago today, the Mets drafted what could be their eventual all-time leader in home runs when they a 19-year-old from Florida.