Pete Alonso's 21st home run of the season was a sight to behold.
With the Mets leading Colorado 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Alonso skied a ball to deep left field. His towering blast just kept carrying, and by the time it landed, the Mets lead was extended to 5-3.
There are moonshots and then there are MOONSHOTS my goodness Pete (via @MLBStats) pic.twitter.com/nvIGg8kkM3
- SNY (@SNYtv) June 9, 2019
"It was awesome," Mickey Callaway said after the game. "I think somebody mentioned that it may have been the third-highest homer of all time on StatCast. Something crazy like that, but it was up there forever."
Pete Alonso's HR: 111.5 mph, 48°
- David Adler (@_dadler) June 9, 2019
185 feet high. 7.3 second hangtime
It's only the 10th HR in MLB since Statcast's intro with a 48°+ launch angle. It's tied for the Mets' highest (Cespedes, 9/7/15). And it's the hardest HR hit by anyone at that launch angle. pic.twitter.com/JXGnd2DOmc
All of the numbers behind Alonso's latest blast are staggering, but one of Callaway's favorite parts about the blast was something that won't show up anywhere in the stat sheet.
The ball hit just above the left field fence, but to the naked eye, it seemed to still be in play. Alonso busted it the whole way around the bases, sliding into third.
"Honestly, I saw it go off the bat and I was like 'Wow, that ball's really up there,' and then thankfully it carried over the wall for me, because I thought it was just a fly ball," Alonso said. "I saw it hit, but I didn't know it hit above the wall so I just kept running and then I finally got the call from the umpire."
He appeared to slide off the bag, but it didn't matter. Replay confirmed the home run, though Callaway was thrilled with Alonso's effort.
"Pete Alonso is going to run everything out as hard as he possibly can," said Callaway. "I'm glad they called it a homer because he would have been out because he hustled so much (and came off the base). He plays the game with passion. He plays the game the right way, and that's what you want to see. … He's getting everybody to buy into Pete Alonso and who he is, and he's one of our leaders."
At just 24 years old, Alonso has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with at the plate, but he's also established even more than that in the clubhouse.
"For a rookie to take on that leadership role like he's doing and performing like an All-Star is unbelievable," Callaway said. "And it's because he does everything the right way at all times."