On July 8, 2019 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso became only the second player in franchise history to claim victory in MLB’s Home Run Derby, and the first since Darryl Strawberry earned a tie atop the 1986 derby leaderboard. It was a memorable moment in a season full of them for the slugger, who broke the single-season rookie home run record (53) while setting a single-season franchise benchmark for home runs.
With All Star activities cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, Alonso retained his crown for an additional year.