Meet the New York Mets’ single season rookie hits record holder, Carson Benge!
Saturday evening’s win over the Phillies was an emotional day on several fronts for Mets fans. Between Carlos Beltrán‘s No. 15 being retired, legendary broadcaster Howie Rose signing off for potentially the final time, and Mets rookie phenom Carson Benge setting the Mets rookie hit record, there was a lot to be emotional about.
The Mets took the second game of a four-game set by a score of 10-3. While the Mets pitching was solid, the real story was the offense. Benge led a huge day from the offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs, two runs batted in, and a walk. Francisco Alvarez hit a big three run home run, Brett Baty had a multi-hit game, and the Mets as a team went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position. While it’s always good to beat a rival, wins on days such as Saturday feel even better.
Christian Scott said it best to reporters after the game when asked about facing a hitter like Benge, “Really glad he’s on my team, for sure.”
Benge has developed into a player that has the makings of being an elite presence for years to come. On Saturday, Benge’s home run was his 19th of the year, inching closer to that elusive 20-20 rookie club. Benge hopes to be the latest installment to a club that contains other great players like Mike Trout, Corbin Carroll, and Julio Rodríguez. Benge’s 22 stolen bases are currently two shy of a tie for the rookie record currently held by A.J. Ewing and Mookie Wilson.
You can’t say enough about the perseverance of Benge this season. After a very rough start to the year, he has turned 2026 from a nightmare season into a dream season. Benge told reporters after the game that he was able to succeed by, “sticking to my path and grinding out every day,” and you can really see the turnaround.
Carson Benge by Roberto Carlo
Since May 1, Benge’s 3.5 fWAR is tied for 23rd in the entire league. His 121 wRC+ ranks tied for 39th in all of baseball over that same time frame, showcasing an incredible offensive turnaround. The last four months have been an incredible development into a potential elite five tool player.
The ability to hit left-handed pitching, as a lefty, has been huge for Benge. Before May 1, Benge only had 14 plate appearances against lefties, and went 2-for-11. After April, the Mets gave Benge regular at bats against lefties, and he continued to improve. Entering Saturday, Benge held a 103 wRC+ vversus left-handed pitchers, hitting .263 and slugging .388. While these might not seem spectacular, a 23-year-old rookie having above average production against both sides of the ball is very impressive.
As impressive of a hitter Benge has been, his defense has been equally impressive. Benge’s 10 outfield assists ranks tied for third in baseball. His arm value ranks No. 1 in baseball.
Long story short, Benge is a great beacon of hope for Mets fans moving forward. In this doomed season, Benge has been superb as just a rookie. Breaking the Mets’ single-season rookie hit record just punctuated that.
