Carson Benge just wrapped up one of the most electric rookie seasons in recent memory, hitting the rare 20-20 mark with 20 homers and 22 stolen bases. That’s a huge deal, making him only the 18th rookie in MLB history to pull it off. He also smashed the Mets’ rookie record for most hits in a single season. Talk about an arrival!
Benge’s Blow-Up Season Was No Fluke
This dude absolutely exploded onto the scene. Back in April, it looked rough, with a .186 batting average. But Benge flipped the script hard. From May on, he was a different player, consistently hitting over .300 for chunks of the season. He finished with a .277/.336/.421 slash line for the year, racking up 168 hits in 156 games. Those 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases speak for themselves, but let’s talk about the advanced stats too: a 118 wRC+, 4.1 fWAR, and 4.2 rWAR. Those are monster numbers for a rookie, the best by a Mets rookie since Pete Alonso’s Rookie of the Year campaign in 2019. Benge is without a doubt on the shortlist for National League Rookie of the Year, and honestly, he deserves it. After a season like that, there’s no question he’s earned a spot on the team.
Nolan McLean Solidifies His Ace Status
While Benge was crushing it at the plate, Nolan McLean was out there doing work on the mound. He put together a seriously impressive 2026 season, stepping up as the Mets’ ace. He finished the year with a 3.16 ERA and 194 strikeouts over 179.2 innings across 31 starts. That’s some serious volume and quality for a rookie pitcher. McLean was consistently above-average all year, outside of a tough stretch in May where his ERA jumped to 6.10. He rebounded strong, putting up a 1.78 ERA in July and a 2.10 ERA in August. He even posted a strong 2.79 ERA in June! Yeah, his September wasn’t quite the “flourish” needed to grab the NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner spot, missing a sub-3.00 ERA or 200+ K, but don’t get it twisted, McLean’s season was a total success.
What an end to the season for these two! Benge has everyone wondering if this level of play is just his baseline now, and McLean has firmly established himself as a dominant starter. The question for Benge is whether he can maintain that incredible pace, and for McLean, can he fine-tune it just enough to hit those elite benchmarks next year? Either way, these guys are going to be fun to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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