A 12-year Gold Glove drought for the New York Mets could finally be over, because Luis Torrens, Nolan McLean, and Carson Benge just got named finalists for the award at their respective positions. This is huge for a franchise that hasn’t seen one of their guys take home the defensive hardware in over a decade, making it the second-longest active drought in the majors.
Torrens Is Back, And Ready To Make History
Luis Torrens, man, this dude is making moves. He was a finalist last year, too, but lost out to Patrick Bailey. Guess what? Bailey isn’t even on the list this year after a midseason trade, leaving the door WIDE OPEN for Torrens. Our guy put up a Fielding Run Value of 10, even though he only played 91 games. That’s good for second in the National League, just behind the Marlins’ Joe Mack. He even beat out fellow finalists Freddy Fermin and Gabriel Moreno on that stat, which is just insane. And get this: his 12 Defensive Runs Saved ranked third *in the majors*. Third! Trailing only Dillon Dingler and Moreno. If Torrens pulls this off, he’d be the first Mets catcher to ever win a Gold Glove. Imagine that, what a moment!
McLean’s Pitching Prowess and Benge’s Cannon Arm
Then we’ve got Nolan McLean. The last time a Mets pitcher won a Gold Glove was way back in 1989 with Ron Darling. McLean’s got a shot to break that streak, too. His 4 defensive runs saved were tied for third-most in the NL, right behind Michael McGreevy and ahead of Chris Sale. Talk about stepping up! But the real wild card here is Carson Benge. This rookie has been on an absolute tear and is already gunning for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Why not add a Gold Glove to that trophy case? Benge’s case is actually the strongest and probably the weirdest of the three. His Fielding Run Value of 6 is second among NL right fielders, behind Seiya Suzuki. But get this for a stat that’ll make your jaw drop: his arm value, a ridiculous 7, was the BEST among *all* MLB outfielders. We’re talking highlight-reel throws that are just out of this world. Now, Statcast says his range is actually a negative, putting him at -1 Outs Above Average, and his 7 defensive runs saved are half of Suzuki’s 14. But if the voters see what we see, those insane throws and diving plays, how can they not give him the nod? If either Benge or McLean win, they’d be only the second Mets rookie ever to win a Gold Glove, following Juan Lagares back in 2014. And for McLean, he’d be the first rookie pitcher in MLB history to win the award. That’s legendary stuff right there.
So, will Benge’s cannon arm and highlight reel moments be enough to overcome the advanced metrics? Can Torrens finally bring home the gold for Mets catchers? We’re on the edge of our seats, waiting to see if these guys can make history and finally end that brutal 12-year drought.
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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