If you happened to see my list of the 10 statistical milestones to watch for as we entered the 2021 MLB season, you'll know that Pete Alonso can break a fairly prestigious league record. Should he belt his 31st home run of the year by July or August — for what it's worth, he hit No. 31 of his 2019 season on July 17 — he'll break Ryan Howard's record as the quickest player to reach 100 career home runs.
It certainly won't be easy, but he got off to a good start on Wednesday night and broke a record of lesser significance in doing so.
The previous record was one that was set recently, as Wayne Randazzo noted. It took Aaron Judge 231 games to reach No. 70, a feat which he accomplished in the 2018 season.
Obviously, Alonso's home run was nice for him and Mets fans to see. He's 3-8 through two games with a home run and a double, which is an extremely minuscule sample size, but a hot start nonetheless. But his home run was also important for another reason, it seems, and you can discover why if you listen a little bit closer to the fans who returned to watch some live baseball at Citizens Bank Park. One of those fans, based on the sound bite below, needed a couple of runs to win a bet. So, naturally, Alonso delivered.
Breaking an MLB record, helping the Mets win, and getting a fan some extra cash in his wallet — unless, of course, the fan needed to stay under nine runs — is a lot for just one swing of the bat.
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