Alonso now has a chance to push it well out of reach for future generations -- provided he sticks around Flushing long term. As far as franchise home run marks go, the new record of 253 is not particularly steep. Only the Diamondbacks and Padres have lower totals.
Yet before Alonso, few players threatened Strawberry's mark, in large part because almost no one spent enough time in Queens to do it. The highest-profile exception, David Wright, was on pace to pass Strawberry before back, neck and shoulder injuries cut short his career. Wright finished with 242 homers, good for third place on the Mets' list. Others, including Mike Piazza and Carlos Beltrán, spent more than half their careers elsewhere.