New York Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen has narrated the majority of Pete Alonso’s home runs over the past seven years, but few have left him as baffled as the one Alonso launched against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.
In the first inning, Alonso drilled a two-run homer off Toronto starter Kevin Gausman. At first glance, it looked like a routine flyout to right field, but the ball continued to carry and cleared the fence.
It marked Alonso’s third home run of the season, and Cohen, surprised from the booth, described the shot as “shocking.”
“It really makes you wonder what’s happening—whether the baseballs are livelier than they were last year,” Cohen said during the SNY broadcast.
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Forget the idea that players are just swinging better—perhaps it’s juiced balls fueling the recent home run surge across MLB.
This wouldn’t be the first time such accusations surfaced. Back in 2019, a record-breaking 6,776 home runs were hit league-wide, sparking speculation among pitchers that the baseballs had been altered.
Alonso led the league that season with 53 home runs as a rookie, and 58 different players—including Mariners slugger Daniel Vogelbach—hit 30 or more.
A league-commissioned study later concluded that any ball changes in 2019 weren’t deliberate, according to CBS Sports.
By comparison, MLB hitters tallied 5,453 home runs in 2024, with only 28 players reaching the 30-home run mark. In 2021, that number was 43.
During the broadcast, Cohen and color analyst Ron Darling also mentioned another jaw-dropping homer—one hit earlier in the week by Miami Marlins infielder Otto Lopez, who sent a ball to the second deck in right field.
“That one was stunning,” Cohen said. “But even Pete Alonso hitting a home run like that—it’s just not something you typically see.”
As of Saturday, MLB teams had combined for 265 home runs so far this season.
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