In yesterday’s game against the Phillies, Pete Alonso added to his remarkable rookie campaign with another milestone. He crushed his 30th HR in just his 89th game, capping off a first half that saw him produce a .280/.372/.634 triple slash line with 68 RBI.

With every pitch that Alonso annihilates, he gets closer to the Mets’ single season home run record of 41 set by Carlos Beltran and Todd Hundley. Alonso earned All-Star honors for his efforts, and he will be the second seed in tonight’s Home Run Derby.

In anticipation of Alonso’s performance tonight, let’s review the top five moments of his season so far:

5. Alonso’s 449 Foot Blast in San Diego

In a tie game in the 9th inning, Alonso blasted a massive home run to give the Mets a 7-5 lead against the Padres. His towering shot hit the Western Metal Supply Co building in left field, and a pumped-up Alonso flipped his bat in triumph.

“I blacked out for a little bit,” Alonso said to reporters after the game.  “I just remember touching home. I don’t even remember rounding the bases.”

4. Alonso’s No Doubter in Chicago

Tyler Chatwood didn’t stand a chance.

The Cubs’ right-hander fired a 95MPH fastball that Alonso absolutely demolished. The ball shot out of Wrigley Field in an instant, as Alonso turned on the pitch and crushed it with all his might.

The homerun was the third-hardest hit home run recorded this year at 117 MPH. Alonso also owns the hardest hit homerun of 2019, which we will get to later.

3. Alonso’s First Homerun 

Drew Steckenrider was Alonso’s first victim.

Up 4-3 against the Marlins in the 9th inning, Alonso secured the Mets’ victory with a three-run blast. The clutch performance was the beginning of Alonso’s 30 home run barrage in the first half, an incredible feat for a player who wasn’t a sure thing to make the opening day roster.

“It’s different,” Mickey Callaway said about Alonso’s raw power to reporters after the game. “When he hits balls like that … watch the fielders. They all kind of just stand there like, ‘What’s that going to do?”

https://twitter.com/Starting9/status/1112899110405857281

2. Alonso’s Rocket Into the Water

Out of every home run Alonso that has hit, his bomb that splashed into the water in Atlanta might be his most impressive. The Mets’ slugger wowed everyone with a 118.3 MPH home run, which is tied for the hardest hit home run in the MLB this season with Gary Sanchez.

It was at that moment that it became clear to everyone that Alonso was a special talent. No other player has hit a home run harder than that in the history of Statcast besides Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.

“To be in the same category as those two guys, it means a lot,” Alonso said to reporters after the game “They’re two of the most prolific power hitters in the game right now. To be up there with them, that’s really cool.”

1. Obliterating Strawberry’s Rookie Record

Since Darryl Strawberry’s debut in 1983, no other Mets’ rookie has been able to break his record of 26 home runs in a season. That was until Pete Alonso shattered the long-standing record in less than half a season.

A red-hot Alonso smashed a home run of Cole Hamels for his record breaking 27th longball. The fact that Alonso passed Strawberry with such ease exemplifies how incedible Alonso has been. If he continues at this pace, there’s no telling how many more records he can break.

Given Alonso’s sensational raw power, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him win the Home Run Derby. He’s truly emerged as one of the game’s elite power bats. Expect Alonso to put on a show, like he’s done all season.