Pete Alonso is making a loud first impression in a Baltimore Orioles uniform, drilling his second home run in as many Grapefruit League games to help Baltimore play the Detroit Tigers to a 4-4 tie in Lakeland, Florida, Feb. 22, 2026.
The blast was another early sign that the Orioles’ offseason bet on power could pay off quickly. Alonso’s third-inning solo shot briefly pushed Baltimore back in front, and the Orioles carried a late lead before Detroit scratched out an equalizer in the ninth.
Pete Alonso goes deep again as Baltimore’s new lineup piece settles in fast
In just two spring appearances, Pete Alonso has already done what he’s built his reputation on: punish mistakes. After a two-run homer in his Orioles debut against the New York Yankees, Pete Alonso followed it up with a solo drive Sunday, continuing a trend that’s become familiar across his career — when the timing is right, the ball leaves the yard.
According to MLB.com, Pete Alonso’s second homer came in the third inning and was an opposite-wind kind of swing — pulled to left-center off left-hander Konnor Pilkington, with the breeze blowing out toward right. That detail matters because it hints at more than just brute strength; it suggests Pete Alonso is already seeing the ball well and staying through it. MLB.com’s recap also noted Alonso has slipped comfortably into the clubhouse and has been vocal early, a meaningful development for a veteran joining a roster with postseason expectations.
The bigger picture is simple: the Orioles wanted impact in the middle of the order, and Pete Alonso is bringing it immediately. He signed a five-year, $155 million deal in December, and the early spring returns — two homers, steady at-bats, and visible presence — fit the profile of why Baltimore pursued him.
How the Orioles built the lead — and how the Tigers pulled it back
Baltimore’s offense wasn’t only the Pete Alonso show. Heston Kjerstad homered, and Jose Barrero ripped an RBI double in the fourth inning to help the Orioles grab a 4-3 edge. Detroit answered in spots, including a solo home run from Austin Slater in the third, and the Tigers finally evened it up in the ninth on Max Clark’s run-scoring single. Field Level Media’s spring roundup captured the key scoring swings as the game turned from early fireworks into a late stalemate.
For Detroit, the late rally was the kind of at-bat spring managers like to see: grind through the inning, put the ball in play, and force the defense to execute. For Baltimore, it was a reminder that results in February are less important than process — but it still stings when a lead slips away in the final frame.
Pete Alonso’s power surge comes with pitching storylines in the background
Spring games can be weird: part audition, part tune-up, part experiment. Baltimore used the afternoon to get important looks on the mound while also continuing to integrate Pete Alonso into its everyday structure.
One of the day’s notable developments came from Kyle Bradish, who worked two innings in his first spring start as he continues building back from Tommy John surgery in June 2024. Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Bradish’s ceiling remains high, and Bradish himself expressed confidence that Baltimore’s rotation depth can be a strength. BaltimoreBaseball.com’s game story included comments from Bradish and Albernaz that framed the outing as a step in a longer progression.
That context matters because the Orioles aren’t just chasing March wins. They’re trying to line up a season-long plan: manage workloads, identify roles, and sharpen the roster around a core that expects to contend. Having Pete Alonso producing early is a bonus, but the club’s broader goal is getting everyone to Opening Day healthy and ready.
From Mets icon to Orioles centerpiece: why Pete Alonso’s early spring matters
Pete Alonso isn’t just a new bat — he’s a well-established power name, and his arrival naturally invites comparisons to what came before. His Mets tenure was defined by tape-measure homers and big moments, including a 2019 Home Run Derby win that cemented his “Polar Bear” brand on the national stage. For a quick rewind on that peak, MLB.com’s archive on the derby final against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a worthwhile refresher. Read the 2019 Home Run Derby story.
That same rookie season also delivered formal hardware. Pete Alonso was named the 2019 National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year, a milestone that helped define his early trajectory as a franchise cornerstone. MLB’s 2019 Rookie of the Year release is another piece of the timeline that explains why his power travels — and why expectations will follow him to Baltimore.
More recently, Pete Alonso’s long-running relationship with the Mets record book turned into a headline of its own. In August 2025, Reuters reported he surpassed Darryl Strawberry’s franchise mark with his 253rd career home run for New York, a reminder of just how rare his sustained production has been. Reuters’ report on the Mets record underscores the historical level of power Pete Alonso carried in Queens — and the kind of thump Baltimore hopes to keep getting.
Pete Alonso and the Orioles: what to watch next
It’s still early, and spring numbers can lie, but Pete Alonso’s swing doesn’t. The contact quality looks real, the approach looks settled, and the results — two homers in two games — are exactly what the Orioles envisioned when they went shopping for a middle-of-the-order force.
The next few weeks will reveal more than the box score. Can Pete Alonso stay locked in against a wider mix of arms? Will Baltimore keep him on the road schedule to stack at-bats, as he has said he prefers? How quickly will the Orioles’ lineup around Pete Alonso take shape as roles solidify?
For now, the headline writes itself: Pete Alonso is in midseason form before the season even starts, and Baltimore is getting the kind of early spring jolt that can energize a roster — even in a 4-4 tie.
