*Editor’s Notes* – This article was written prior to the Mets and Royals game July 9, 2026. Stats are from before MLB games on July 9, 2026.

Original Article

The Mets outfield continued their dominant play Wednesday in their 6-2 win over the Royals.

A.J. Ewing homered for a second straight game, joining four of his teammates to lead off a game with a blast this season. Carson Benge recorded his third consecutive game with multiple hits, raising his batting average to .265 and OBP to .327. And Juan Soto reached base twice via the walk despite going 0-for-3.

Just another normal day for the psychos and their 27-year-old mentor.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

But seriously, the three outfielders’ performance from Wednesday has been the norm during the Mets’ lost season. Benge and Ewing are both OPSing over 1.000 in July, and Soto’s slashing .269/.424/.615 with three homers in seven July games.

The production has been eye-opening. And begs the question: How does this outfield stack up against the National League?

Entering Saturday, the Mets’ collective outfield holds a 6.0 fWAR. Soto enters the day with a 3.0 fWAR, third among outfielders behind Pete Crow-Armstrong and Corbin Carroll. Benge and Ewing entered with 1.6 fWAR and 1.4 fWAR, respectively, which is incredibly impressive when factoring in Benge’s slow start at the plate and in the field, plus Ewing only playing 53 major league games.

The 6.0 fWAR ranks third in the NL entering Saturday. The only clubs ahead of them are the Chicago Cubs, who lead the league with an 8.9 fWAR, and the Washington Nationals who enter Saturday with a 6.1 fWAR. Not too bad for an outfield playing two rookies.

When analyzing the Cubs’ cumulative number, it’s apparent how heavily carried it is by Crow-Armstrong. The former Met draft pick enters Saturday with a 5.9 fWAR, which is almost the entire total of the Mets outfielders’ fWAR. The fWAR total is second only to Shohei Ohtani in the NL (6.0).

But when comparing Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ to Ewing and Benge, the fWARs are identical. Suzuki’s 1.6 fWAR is one-to-one with Ewing, and Happ’s 1.4 is the same number Benge has produced. Remember, these are two rookies being compared to a bat that’s garnered MVP votes and an All-Star who’s won four consecutive Gold Gloves in the outfield.

The same scenario emerges with the Nationals. James Wood has had an MVP-like season, and enters Saturday with a 3.9 fWAR. But when looking at Jacob Young (1.2) and Daylen Lile (1.0), both their fWARs are lower than Ewing and Benge.

The Nationals and Cubs provide two top-heavy fWAR numbers. PCA and Wood clearly hold the most weight in both their clubs’ total fWAR. More than double the amount of their counterparts. But the Mets are different. Ewing and Benge account for the same fWAR as Soto. And both are getting their first taste of the majors.

Many also might be wondering where the Dodgers are in this equation. That’s a fair question; they’ve been the best team in baseball over the last two seasons. Well, they come into the day with a collective 4.5 fWAR and rank sixth. Oh, and prized free agent Kyle Tucker enters Thursday with a 1.1 fWAR, both lower than Ewing and Benge.

Here’s the full NL Outfield fWAR list below:

Cubs: 8.9 – (PCA, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ)
Nationals: 6.1 – (James Wood, Jacob Young, Daylen Lile)
Mets: 6.0 – (Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge)
Pirates: 5.4 – (Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn)
Atlanta: 4.8 – (Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubón, Mike Yastrzemski)
Dodgers: 4.5 – (Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages)
Cardinals: 3.8 – (Nathan Church, Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar + Nelson Velazquez)
Brewers: 3.7 – (Garrett Mitchell, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick)
Diamondbacks: 2.8 – (Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tommy Troy)
Rockies: 2.6 – (Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak, Tyler Freeman)
Phillies: 2.5 – (Justin Crawford, Brandon Marsh, Derek Hill)
Giants: 2.5 – (Drew Gilbert, Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos)
Padres: 2.4 – (Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jase Bowen)
Marlins: 0.6 – (Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie, Heriberto Hernandez)
Reds: 0.2 – (TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marté, JJ Bleday)

The outfield is among the best in baseball. And with an average age of 23.6, the group could quickly be the best in the NL.

Ewing’s 1.6 fWAR is among the top-20 in the NL, but he’s only played 53 games. If one were to assume he’d keep up the pace, Ewing would finish the season with a 4.8 fWAR in year one.

Then there’s Benge. The 2024 draft pick struggled mightily through his first month of the season, and entered May with a -0.3 fWAR.

Of course Soto is in the mix. But anyone who watches the sport knows a breakdown is unnecessary.

The numbers simply back up the rhetoric. And with an exciting group of outfielders under the age of 28, the Mets are providing a reason for fans to tune in to SNY while the club is in the cellar.