Pete Alonso has a big hat to go with his new Orioles contract.
The now former Mets slugger was introduced in Baltimore on Friday and wore special clothing for the time being.
He added a mascot-sized hat to his black suit, cowboy boots and orange belt with a pocket square for a photo with The Oriole Bird — captioned by Baltimore’s social team with “New Best Friend.”
Alonso, the recipient of a five-year, $155 million contract from the Orioles, will now call Camden Yards home after spending the first seven years of his big league career mashing home runs at Citi Field in Queens.
Among the other changes for the Mets’ all-time home run leader, with 264 career dingers, is a new uniform number: 25.
“So 2025 is such a special year for me and my family because we welcomed our son into the world in 2025,” he said in a video from the Orioles. “So because of him I chose 2025.”
The team captured his first official day as an Oriole, touring Oriole Park and its surroundings, including the locker room for a photo shoot in his new digs.
He’ll be bringing a familiar face along for the ride with him, as Baltimore also picked up reliever Ryan Helsley on the free agent market on a two-year deal.
Alonso thanked Amazin’s fans in a post on social media on Thursday evening.
“New York, thank you,” the message read. “These past years have shaped me in ways that I will carry for the rest of my life. This city demands the best of you and I am proud to look back knowing that I gave everything I had to earn the privilege of wearing that jersey.”
“Thank you for the passion. Thank you for the love. Even the tough love that comes with playing for New York. When it was time for the first pitch, thank you for getting through it all. Thank you for getting loud every time I stepped up to the plate and shaking the building when the ball found a spot over the wall. Your energy fueled me more than you will ever know. You believed in me and you made me better.”
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