And so, Peter Alonso, as he was often called back then, entered professional baseball as a relative afterthought. The MLB Network broadcast compared him to CJ Cron. This was a hulking slugger with question marks, a middling athlete with a high offensive bar to clear.

Pete Alonso hit a two-run home run against the Braves on Tuesday night, moving him past Darryl Strawberry and into first place on the Mets' all-time homer list.