It didn’t take long for Pete Alonso—home run machine, polar bear, and all-around mensch—to endear himself to Mets fans. Starting with a spring training performance in 2019 that forced the team to roster him from day one, he made himself seen and heard through his ebullient love of the game, his low-key clubhouse leadership, and, of course, his rookie record-breaking 53 dingers.
With the notable, and unfortunate, exception of the dingers, Alonso has carried this performance through some of the darkest months MLB has faced, taking a hard stand on social media in defense of his union during the negotiations and also vocally supporting Black Lives Matter as protests swept the country.