SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract because of his leadership, his veteran presence and, perhaps most importantly, his powerful bat.
The Polar Bear wasted little time showcasing his most impressive tool.
Alonso slugged his first home run in an O's uniform in his third plate appearance of Friday afternoon's 2-0 win over the Yankees in the Grapefruit League opener at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The 31-year-old first baseman pounced on a first-pitch curveball from right-hander Bradley Hanner and sent it deep over the left-field fence for a two-run blast that marked the first scoring of the contest.
Many of Baltimore's starters came out of the game after five innings. Not Alonso, who stayed in for an additional frame to get a few extra reps.
"Tomorrow I got off, so it's like, 'What's three more outs on defense? What's one more at-bat?'" Alonso said. "For me, I just want to get as many reps in a competitive environment as possible."
It's only Spring Training, but Alonso enjoyed getting into one in his first game in an Orioles uniform.
"Obviously, hitting homers feels amazing, doesn't matter what time of year. Happy to break the seal," Alonso said. "I feel honored to wear [this uniform]. I feel great in it, I feel like I look good in it. So, it's fantastic. I honestly couldn't feel any better."