LOS ANGELES, CA – The 2019 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a memorable competition for New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso as he showcased his power to the thousands in attendance and millions watching at home. Alonso would win the contest by knocking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the final round to be crowned that year’s Home Run Derby champion.
In 2020, the derby would get canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his time to defend his crown happened in Colorado last year, where he successfully defended and won again—making him the third player to win back-to-back derbies.
On July 18, 2022, he looks to go for the three-peat in Los Angeles. If he were to beat out the other contestants, he would be the first to win three consecutive times.
It wasn’t an easy road for Alonso to get to Los Angeles, and it all started one evening in Port St. Lucie.
The Accident
On March 13, 2022, Alonso was involved in a “brutal” car accident. According to the first baseman, a driver ran through a red light that would hit the car Alonso was in, causing it to flip three times.
“I got in a really, kind of brutal car accident,” Alonso told reporters the following day in the locker room. “This is a really special spring training because yesterday really was a close experience to death.”
For Alonso to get out, he had to kick the front windshield as he was stuck upside down in the driver’s seat.
“When I was upside down, it was a weird moment, a very scary moment,” he said. “I’m just happy that everything’s okay.”
There were only minor injuries for Alonso and the others involved. The following day, he would participate in practice picking up ground balls without any problem.
The Aftermath
At the end of the first half of the 2022 MLB season, Alonso holds a .265 batting average while knocking out 24 home runs and bringing in 78 runs. His stats have earned him to be named an MLB All-Star, and if he keeps this up, he can be a potential MVP candidate. He won’t be alone at Dodger Stadium as his teammates Jeff McNeil, Edwin Diaz, and Starling Marte will join him as four Mets, including Alonso, were named All-Stars.
The car accident in March did not affect his physical ability to perform well for his team. Unfortunately, it did affect his mental health.
“A big accident like that, when it happens to you, I don’t care who you are, its not easy,” Alonso said to The Players’ Tribune. “No matter how strong you might think you are, it can still be rough in a lot of different ways. I’m still dealing with some pretty bad PTSD from it, to be completely honest with you.”
Alonso has looked to people close to him to help through his struggles, and he can rely on McNeil, Diaz, and Marte to cheer him on as he hopes to bring the Home Run Derby title back to Flushing for a third consecutive time.
Nice read Hernesto