Pete Alonso saw a number retired for Mets royalty on Sunday as Dwight Gooden’s No. 16 was unveiled on the left-field overhang at Citi Field.
Darryl Strawberry will have his day on June 1, when his No. 18 is retired.
Alonso, who might be the most likely candidate among the current Mets to receive such an honor, was asked if he’s ever looked to left field and envisioned his No. 20 displayed.
“It would be special,” Alonso told The Post. “But I don’t think that’s at the forefront of my mind because I’m still early in my career and still want to play for as long as those guys up there.”
Alonso noted that most of the Mets players with retired numbers were part of World Series-winning teams or at least played multiple times in the postseason with the organization.
And Alonso, who is headed toward free agency, would almost certainly need to extend his relationship with the organization long term to have a shot at one day seeing his number retired.
Team owner Steve Cohen has said any negotiations with Alonso won’t occur until after the season.
Alonso said the idea of playing his entire career with the Mets is enticing.
“That is definitely something I have thought about and something that would be so incredibly special,” he said. “It’s something that in today’s game is super rare. Very select few people get to do that.
“It’s very rare for somebody to start and finish with a team like David [Wright]. Another one when you think of homegrown is Derek Jeter — that is another New York guy. Aaron [Judge], and that is a difficult thing to do, not just sign a contract but be successful for that long and to be beloved and wanted there in a specific spot for a long time. But that’s an honor and has to be earned for sure.”
Does Alonso sense he is “beloved” by Mets fans?
“One hundred percent,” he said. “But over the course of the amount of time those guys up there with their numbers retired, those guys have done it for way longer than me. For me to think of that, yeah, it would be special, but it’s not in the forefront of my mind because I want to play as long as those guys up there.”
J.D. Martinez is expected to resume workouts on Monday, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, after receiving a cortisone shot last week for lower-back tightness.
Martinez will likely hit off a tee, according to Mendoza, and work his way toward returning to minor league games before he can be considered for activation by the Mets.
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