New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso hit a home run on Thursday that put his rookie season in the company with some of the greatest first years in MLB history.
The home run was the 25th of the season for Alonso. With it, he joined Mark McGwire, Aaron Judge, Jose Abreu, and Cody Bellinger as the only rookies to reach that milestone before the All-Star Break.
Making matters even more impressive is that Alonso can definitely add to that total. Following Thursday’s game, the Mets will have 15 games left until the break.
So, as good as Alonso has already been in his rookie season, there’s plenty of time for him to move up that list.
Judge currently holds the MLB record for home runs by a rookie in a full season. He hit 52 in 2017. Bellinger, meanwhile, holds the NL record. He hit 39 in the same season. If Alonso stays healthy, he’ll have a realistic chance at either mark.