Pete Alonso ties Mike Piazza on Mets career home run leaders list
Pete Alonso tied Mike Piazza for third on the New York Mets all-time home run leaders list on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Alonso didn’t take long to accomplish the feat as he did it on his first at bat of the game.
The slugger stepped to the plate to lead off the second inning and connected on a pitch to right center than went a distance of 383 feet. Not only was it a milestone homer in his career in New York, but it also marked his 28th of the season. You can view the moment below.
Alonso was drafted to the Mets in 2016 and has spent his entire MLB career with the team. The Florida Gators product made his pro debut in 2019 and was named Rookie of the Year after leading the entire league with 53 home runs.
He has recorded at least 35 homers in four of his five pro seasons thus far and is once again on track to reach that number this year. In addition to being tied with Piazza, Alonso is now 22 home runs behind David Wright and 32 behind Daryl Stawberry.
The solo home run for Alonso was the first run New York scored all evening but it wouldn’t be the last. The Mets quickly added to their total with another run to make it 2-0 at the end of the second. They then scored three more in the top of the fifth, where they currently lead 5-0.
The Mets currently sit at third place in the NL East with a record of 68-63. Alonso will surely pass Piazza sometime before the regular season ends with a month left to play.
Report: MLB discussing six-inning minimum requirement for starting pitchers
According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, MLB is discussing a rule that would be game-altering to baseball. While it’s nowhere near being finalized, there are talks of making six innings the requirement for starting pitchers.
“There is some belief around the game, however, that one idea could be a panacea: requiring starting pitchers to go at least six innings every time they take the mound,” Rogers said.
Now, MLB would not just require all starting pitchers to go six innings, there would be three exceptions. If 100 pitches are reached or four earned runs go up on the board, the manager can make a call to the bullpen. Injuries can also allow a starter to leave the game but to avoid manipulation, a stint by franchises on the Injured List would be required.
So, what is the benefit of potentially implementing the rule? Rogers explained in his article, saying MLB wants to bring back the idea of top-level starters going toe-to-toe against one another.
“The primary focus of a minimum-innings rule would be to immediately restore the prestige of the starting pitcher,” Rogers said. “Fans would be able to tune in to a game knowing that he would be on the mound for the majority of it.”
On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.