He has broken records and he has broken bats. He had a first-half to remember and a second that started out in an awful 11-73 slump (.151) before Monday’s doubleheader against the Miami Marlins. He rewrote many of the rookie home run records before the first half even ended. And he has brought an enthusiasm to a Mets team that is red-hot and in the thick of playoff contention. And he is done it, in part, by coining a rallying cry that is unabashedly being thrown around Citi Field regardless who’s in earshot.

He is, of course, Pete Alonso.

Even though he has struggled at the plate since the All-Star break, his very presence seemed to will the Mets to victory in Monday’s second game, when in the seventh inning he hit a screaming line-drive homer to left to cap an exciting three home run barrage to put the Mets ahead for good.

After the game, he also almost broke something else: an FCC regulation about profanity on the public airwaves when in an interview with SNY’s Steve Gelbs he said, “L. F. G. M. Let’s go!” Fortunately for the public address operator at Citi Field and the legions of fans watching on SNY he did not bother to identify what the F stood for. LFGM was coined by Alonso himself to a crazed fan base on Twitter last week.

Then, in Tuesday’s game, he hit another home run, to help the Mets win their third straight against Miami. It was Pete’s 36th home run of the year. He is now only three homers behind the all-time NL mark for four-baggers by a rookie which is held by Cody Bellinger, who hit 39 in 2017. He is also only five homers behind the Mets franchise record for homers in a single-season which is 41 and is shared by Carlos Beltran (2006) and Todd Hundley (1996).

Alonso is currently on pace to hit 51 home runs in 2019. He is also on pace to stroke 87 extra-base hits which would also set a franchise record.

One could argue that there have been several reasons why the Mets, who were 40-51 on July 12, are 58-56 on August 6. The pitching staff has the lowest ERA of any staff in the Majors. Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler have pitched better than at any time throughout the season. And with the addition of Marcus Stroman, the Mets field one of the best rotations in baseball. Seth Lugo has emerged as a star out of the pen as well for the Mets.

Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil, Amed Rosario, and others have been all hitting the ball well since the break, and the team has seemed to come together in a way that few Mets teams have in the past. That camaraderie has a to do, in large part, to the enthusiasm and energy Pete Alonso has given the team. Because even though statistically he is not as responsible for the Mets winning ways as others, psychologically he is very responsible.

Sometimes his infectious exuberance is demonstrated with weird quotes. On Monday he said to reporters, “Anytime you hit a go-ahead homer in a close game, it’s a really fun, really cool experience. I’m just really happy that I could really contribute today, because this past month has been rough, but ever since Mercury came out of retrograde, I think I’m OK.” Mercury in retrograde refers to the planet moving across the sky in the wrong direction.

Whether it’s a fist pump after catching the back-end of a double play or the prancing up the first baseline he did as he watched his homer on Monday clear the left-field wall, Alonso has been the catalyst to the resurgence of a team that was thought dead and buried for 2019 just a few short weeks ago.

All of this– his rallying cry, his clutch home runs and is omnipresent enthusiasm are perfect reminders of the impact this young player has had on his team in a relatively short time. He has already reached the status of a special player so rarely seen on the Mets over the years. The Mets have had their stars, but never a young player who shows such dynamics on and off the field.

His at-bats are must-see. And even though he has struck out at a rate of about 33% since the Break, everyone knows in the back of his or her mind he can break open a game with one swing. And everyone also knows that he can get hot and carry his team to the post-season. Therein lies the key, he provides hope to a team that has lacked it for so long. The smile on his face helps melt away frustration and gives the Met fan-base something to rally around for years to come.

Okay, #LFGM isn’t the sort of light dinner conversation made with youngsters around. But now is not the time to be a prude either. The phrase has energized a fan-base and has become the Mets mantra on the internet and beyond.

And onlookers are still amazed how loud Citi Field was as the Mets came back to win game two of the twin bill.  30 of the Mets remaining 48 games are at home, so this newly energized fanbase will have plenty of opportunities to root for its heroes home.

Pete Alonso is responsible for a large part of the excitement in Flushing, whether due to his performance on the field or his youthful, fun-loving ways off the field and he has become a rallying point from which the Mets can build. Maybe one day he will be captain of the Mets. But for now, the fact is the Mets are playing relevant games in August. One can only imagine Pete in the playoffs, and what sort of euphoria that would bring.