SARASOTA, Fla. — The drive from Tampa across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge into Sarasota is a familiar one for the Alonso family.
Before Pete Alonso was a $155 million man, he was a travel ball player for the Salty Dawgs. He played home games across the street from Ed Smith Stadium at the Cal Ripken baseball fields. It was only fitting, then, that Alonso’s parents would be in the crowd to see him back here.
“I had many, many games and weekends just right across the street at that complex,” Alonso said. “It’s really special.”
That’s an apt word to describe what Alonso experienced Friday, during Baltimore’s first spring training game. He homered in his third and final at-bat, then jogged off the field for an early shower. As he passed the home bullpen, he sarcastically yelled, “Come on, guys, gotta win this one!”
It was so Alonso — first pushing to stay in the game longer than any other starting player, then being the vocal leader for which this club has longed.
“I think getting as many looks from different arms is always a good thing” — then he paused as he heard John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” to say he really loved that song. “What’s three more outs on defense? What’s one more at-bat? For me, I just want to get as many reps in a competitive environment as possible to get ready for the year.”
Alonso’s two-run home run came in the sixth inning of the Orioles’ 2-0 victory against the New York Yankees, and he was facing right-hander Bradley Hanner, who hasn’t pitched above Triple-A. There will be more difficult at-bats to come but, as Alonso said, he was “happy to break the seal.”
That may be the first of many. Alonso clubbed 38 home runs in 2025 during his final season with the New York Mets, and he hasn’t hit fewer than 34 homers in a full season.
Baltimore signed Alonso to be an impact presence in its lineup and clubhouse, and his new teammates have lauded him for both. As the game continued, he saw the chance to receive a third plate appearance if he stayed in an extra inning. The choice paid off. He lifted the blast at 107.2 mph to left field.
“Pete wanted it, and he made the most of it,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “He just wants to play.”
Alonso has already appeared at home in the Orioles organization. He joked that he looks good in orange, and his love of Denver’s classic seventh-inning-stretch tune at Camden Yards will ingratiate himself with the fans (as if his home runs weren’t enough).
Plus, playing in Sarasota is a win for the Alonso family.
“It’s really reminiscent, not just for them but for me as well,” Alonso said.
With a five-year deal, he can settle into spring training life in Sarasota for most, if not all, of the rest of his career.