Pete Alonso's first home run lets Orioles fans laugh at the Mets one last time

It was only a matter of time before Pete Alonso broke through and hit his first homer as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. It only took him until his fifth game as an Oriole for Alonso to go yard, and when he finally did, it happened at the expense of one of his longtime friends and teammates, Jacob deGrom.

Alonso and deGrom first became teammates in 2019 when Alonso debuted as a 24-year-old rookie. Both of them had incredibly impressive first years as a duo. Alonso set the rookie record for home runs in a single season with 53 and plated 120 RBI. He slashed .260/.358/.583 and played every single game but one. He ran away with the National League Rookie of the Year.

DeGrom was in his prime. He led the league in strikeouts, put up a 2.43 ERA, and won the NL Cy Young award almost unanimously. He had a real argument for MVP as he was second in the league in total WAR, thanks to a 0.5 WAR bump from his offense, where he hit a career high two home runs.

Imagine telling a 2019 Mets fan about Pete Alonso's latest home run

If you had told a Mets fan immediately following the 2019 season that in 2026, there would be a day when Pete Alonso would hit a home run off of Jacob deGrom, they probably would have asked: "Which one of them left the Mets?" A long pause would have followed as you try to tell them with your eyes that, in fact, both Alonso and deGrom were going to leave the Mets.

Once this 2019-era Mets fan put it together that in 2026 Alonso and deGrom would both be on different teams besides the Mets, they might have had a follow-up question: "Did we lose deGrom and Alonso because the Wilpons cheaped out?" Then you'd actually get to tell them some good news and let them know that in 2026, the Wilpons don't own the Mets anymore, and the new owner is so rich and so excited to spend money on the Mets that the league created new competitive balance rules.

That news would likely create some confusion; this 2019 Mets fan might follow up with something like: "Are they both on other teams because they're washed now?" And, of course, the answer is no! Alonso is coming off his best season by OPS since his rookie year, and deGrom is fresh off a season where he started 30 games at a sub-three ERA.

After the Mets seemed quite content to allow these franchise icons to walk in free agency, all they can do is laugh as they continue to have excellent careers away from the Big Apple.