Pete Alonso Returns to New York in Orioles-Yankees Matchup
pete alonso returned to New York on Friday night as the Baltimore Orioles visited the Yankees, and the trip carried more weight than a normal road game. It was his first time playing at Yankee Stadium as an Oriole after years with the New York Mets.
He expected that kind of return when he signed with Baltimore, figuring he would be back in New York at least three times and maybe four times a season. That made this stop feel familiar in one sense and different in another: same city, different uniform, different dugout.
Alonso’s New York memories
Alonso tied the visit to the start of his career and to family milestones. “My first taste of professional baseball was playing for the Cyclones and then kind of working my way up from there. A lot of memories here for my family and I,” he said before the Orioles-Yankees contest on Friday night.
He was more specific about the personal side. “The last time we were here, I just remember going to Mount Sinai with my wife and coming out as a family of three. For me, it's special because you look down memory lane. There's a lot of great baseball memories but also a lot of great personal memories, too.”
Those memories explain why the night was not just another trip through New York. Alonso spent many years with the Mets, began his professional path with the Cyclones, and now was back in the same city as an opponent rather than a local fixture.
Orioles uniform, familiar setting
The setting changed, but the workload in the batter’s box has not looked clean in 2026. Alonso was hitting.198 with 13 RBIs, seven doubles, 17 walks, and a.668 OPS entering the game.
His.382 slugging percentage was a career low, and he was averaging one home run every 29 at-bats. His previous worst home run rate came in 2024, when he went 17.9 at-bats per homer.
That gives the Orioles a veteran hitter returning to one of baseball’s most familiar parks while still trying to settle into a slow start at the plate. The visit to New York carried personal meaning, but the numbers show there is still a sharp edge to his first season with Baltimore.
