Pete Alonso stands above Darryl Strawberry, David Wright, Mike Piazza, Howard Johnson, and other Mets luminaries with 254 home runs and counting in blue and orange. While his return to the team was hotly debated over the offseason, Alonso has silenced those critics with a strong season and a revamped hitting approach.

Somewhere, deep down, Pete Alonso can relate to the “Old Perfessor” and his long-ago departure from the Yankees. Alonso made the mistake of turning 30 last December, the same week the Mets signed the 26-year-old Juan Soto for 15 years and $765 million.