Sal Stewart took home the NL Rookie of the Year award this past Monday night, but if you paid attention through the entire 162-game grind, you know the race was a whole lot closer than the final vote count suggests, especially after Carson Benge’s monster finish. This wasn’t some early-season coronation; it was a full-blown marathon, and the Mets’ right fielder made it genuinely contentious.
The Marathon That Was the NL Rookie Race
Seriously, they call a baseball season a “marathon” for a reason, right? There are so many ups and downs, you can’t just judge a player on a single month. That’s exactly what made this National League Rookie of the Year contest one of the most talked-about awards of the year. Over six months, five candidates separated themselves from the pack: Sal Stewart from the Reds, Carson Benge and Nolan McLean from the Mets, JJ Wetherholt from the Cardinals, and TJ Rumfield from the Rockies. When the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) assigned their award votes back in early August, it felt like a two-horse race between Stewart and Wetherholt. But then Benge went absolutely nuclear in the final two months, completely changing the conversation.
In the end, Stewart clinched the honor, earning 20 of the 30 possible first-place votes. His bat was explosive all year, leading all NL rookies with 32 home runs and 112 RBI. He also put up 87 runs, a .787 OPS, 25 doubles, and 15 stolen bases, all while slashing .263/.330/.457. That kind of power is tough to ignore, with his RBI total being second-most and his homers eighth-most in the entire National League. Wetherholt, on the other hand, showed off one of the best gloves in baseball with a +25 Outs Above Average, only trailing Cubs MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong. He led all rookies with 89 runs and added 17 homers, 51 RBI, and 14 stolen bases, though his .242/.339/.365 slash line in 139 games was a bit more unassuming.
Benge’s Incredible Surge Was Unmatched
But then there’s Benge. The Mets’ right fielder finished as the runner-up with seven first-place votes, three second-place, and 12 third-place designations. One of those first-place votes was mine, and honestly, after watching the whole season play out, I firmly believe Benge did enough in *every* facet of the game to deserve the top spot. Yeah, he had a slow start, batting just .189 with a .525 OPS through April, which definitely hurt his early case. But this is where the “marathon” comes in! Over the final five months of the season, Benge slashed an incredible .299/.363/.457.
This late-season surge helped Benge lead all rookies with 168 hits,matching the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle in the American League. He also ranked second among NL rookies in batting average (.282) and home runs (20), and third in RBI (65) and stolen bases (22). Here’s the kicker, the stat that should have swung the vote: Benge was the *only* NL rookie to finish in the top three in each of those crucial offensive categories. He gave you power, speed, hits, and a great average, all while playing strong defense.
Ultimately, the BBWAA crowned Sal Stewart. But for those who watched Carson Benge transform his season, or JJ Wetherholt flash incredible leather, this wasn’t just a two-horse race that ended in November. It was a six-month showcase of future NL stars, and frankly, Benge’s finish deserves a lot more respect.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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