Pete Alonso’s First Home Run as an Oriole

Pete Alonso has hit his first home run in the big leagues with a team other than the Mets. Interestingly, this one had a New York twist to it.

He connected for a solo homer to left-center off his former Mets teammate, Jacob deGrom, during the fourth inning of the Orioles’ 8-5 defeat to the Rangers at Camden Yards.

This marked Alonso’s first extra-base hit in Baltimore, following a string of singles that comprised his initial five hits of the 2026 season.

The five-time All-Star launched deGrom’s fastball, which came in at 96.5 mph, an impressive 400 feet with a speed of 99.1 mph.

Following the game, Alonso, who finished the night at 2-for-4, expressed his excitement, saying, “He’s one of the best players ever, and yeah, I’m really, really happy that it was my day. But I know most days I’m not that lucky. It’s, again, one of those moments where he’s one of the best to do it, and I’m just glad it went my way today.”

Earlier in the game, Alonso had a light-hearted exchange with deGrom when he reached base with a single. DeGrom, instead of throwing a warm-up pitch to the next batter, attempted to pull Alonso away, apparently forgetting that first base was occupied. Alonso could only laugh and raise his hands in bewilderment.

Tuesday was also deGrom’s season debut after dealing with a neck issue from the previous weekend’s game against the Phillies. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowing three earned runs.

Alonso, now the all-time home run leader for the Mets, signed with the Orioles in free agency for five years, totaling $155 million, just a few years after deGrom’s move to Texas for a five-year, $185 million deal. Reflecting on his first game with the Orioles, Alonso described it as “like a movie,” sharing that he truly enjoyed being part of the experience.