New York Mets All-Star Pete Alonso has averaged more than 40 home runs per year over the past three seasons. Alonso has yet to reach the apex he achieved as a rookie with 53 dingers in 2019, but with a potential new contract on the line to play for, he could be in for a career year.
When Alonso is swinging for the fences in 2024, though, it’ll be for more than the Mets’ benefit on the scoreboard. He’s announced plans to donate $1,000 to animal shelters for every homer he hits this coming season.
Alongside his wife Haley, Pete Alonso founded The Alonso Foundation back in 2020, which benefits and supports youth initiatives, animal welfare and veterans.
The cause Alonso is slugging for in 2024 is already very close to his heart, so going the extra mile with additional animal shelter donations is a classy move indeed.
As for his uncertain future in New York, Alonso expressed a desire to remain with the Mets for his entire MLB career.
It’s just a matter of whether or not they’ll pay him what should be a hefty contract.
Negotiations on a long-term deal have been pretty low-key to barely existent at this point, as Alonso signed a one-year contract last month to avoid arbitration. Mets owner Steve Cohen, for his part, has made it clear he’ll pay any price to bring a winner to a franchise always seen as the little brother to the Big Apple’s preeminent sports organization, the Yankees.
Would be quite a job by Cohen if he could retain Alonso and poach Juan Soto from the Yanks.
Anyway, beyond the personnel/baseball business side of things, it’s really neat that Alonso isn’t letting his cloudy future impede him from philanthropic efforts in the community. Even those of you diehard fans of NL East division rivals and Yankee faithful should be casually rooting on Alonso to knock it out of the park if he’s not facing your team.
There are so precious few things all of humanity can agree upon in this polarizing modern world. I think we can all get behind a baseball player hitting home runs to help save animals, right? Would certainly hope so. Go off, Pete Alonso! Securing the bag for next winter, and helping some beautiful creatures along the way seems like the ultimate winning scenario.
Now enjoy Alonso’s incredible 2021 Home Run Derby highlights. The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has its work cut out to match the MLB’s main All-Star event.
