It’s funny how oftentimes things come full circle, and that’s exactly what occurred for Baltimore Orioles slugger Pete Alonso on Tuesday night.
In his return series to Citi Field, Alonso just so happened to also be on the cusp of hitting his 300th home run.
Well, on Tuesday night, in the top of the ninth inning, Alonso did just that, hitting his 300th HR and becoming the 19th active player to reach that mark.
He did it in front of a Mets fanbase that decided to embrace the moment with loud cheers, a curtain call, and “fire Stearns” chants after the Mets elected not to re-sign Alonso this past offseason after spending his first seven MLB seasons with the organization.
Pete Alonso grins as Mets fans chant “fire Stearns” after Alonso hit his 300th home run in his old ballpark pic.twitter.com/XbNLhDE7yn
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 16, 2026
Sean Manaea Didn’t Like Fanbase’s Reaction
While Alonso received praise from his former teammate Sean Manaea after the game, the left-hander didn’t enjoy hearing the Mets fanbase embrace Alonso so much in that moment, considering the game was tied and headed to extra innings.
“I love him to death,” Manaea said. “But as the 2026 Mets, I know we’ve definitely underperformed… the guys in here work their [explicit] off every single day. To have that reaction to an opposing player is crazy to me. Again, I got nothing but respect for Pete, but just never seen anything like that before.”
“I love him to death, but as the 2026 Mets – I know we’ve definitely underperformed – the guys in here work their ass off every single day. To have that reaction to an opposing player is crazy to me”
– Sean Manaea on the Citi Field reception for Pete Alonso’s 300th home run pic.twitter.com/7itFYYpns7
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 16, 2026
Mets Fans React to Manaea’s Postgame Comments
As expected, Mets fans didn’t take lightly to Manaea’s postgame criticism of how much attention they showed Alonso.
“They need to understand fans don’t just view this as a player leaving but an organization refusing to keep one of their own family. I get it’s hard, but players need to realize it has 0 to do with them,” a fan said.
Someone else added, “Play better next time and make sure these games actually mean something.”
Another person wrote, “The door is open Manaea, you must get out of here!”
“Yeah welcome to sports bro. Letting your best players walk for without any real attempt to keep them has consequences,” a fan shared.
One more commented, “Fastest way for Manaea to get me not to like him anymore.”
Mets’ Sean Manaea Faces Backlash Over Pete Alonso’s 300th HR Comments