Orioles' Pete Alonso greeted warmly in return to Citi Field - ESPN

NEW YORK — Pete Alonso returned to Citi Field on Monday night with the Baltimore Orioles on the verge of his 300th home run and received a warm welcome from Mets fans.

«So many good memories here — I played with so many good people, talented people,» Alonso said. «It's going to be interesting to see what emotions kind of bubble up, because you never can anticipate things that happen.»

Alonso entered Monday hitting .269 with 35 homers, an AL-high 100 RBIs and an .863 OPS for the last-place Orioles. He had a 4.1 fWAR while his Mets replacements were at minus-0.4.

He left the Mets after the 2025 season as a free agent to sign a $155 million, five-year contract with Baltimore. New York, which didn't push to re-sign him, began the night on the verge of postseason elimination.

«I respect their decision — the guys running the team, it's their prerogative to do whatever they think is best for them,» Alonso said. «Two things can be true at the same time: I'm very happy and appreciative of my time I spent as a Met and I'm beyond grateful and appreciative for the Baltimore Orioles.»

The Polar Bear returns to Queens

Pete Alonso receives a thunderous ovation in his first game back at Citi Field