Mets News
Carson Benge Made Mets History: From a Rough Start to a 20-20 Rookie Season
Carson Benge started the year with a .416 OPS in April and finished as the first Mets rookie ever to go 20-20. Here is how he did it and why he matters for 2027. #LGM
It was not a pretty season in Queens. The Mets wrapped up 2026 at 74-88, last in the NL East and 20 games behind the 94-win Braves, and a managerial change in late June (Carlos Mendoza out, Andy Green in) only underlined how rough the year was. But if you want one reason to feel good heading into the winter, look at right field and the rookie standing in it.
Carson Benge did something no Mets rookie had ever done: he reached 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season. The 20th homer came on September 25 in Washington, a fifth-inning shot in a game the Mets lost 7-6. He reached base in all four of his trips to the plate that day, so even in a loss it was a statement night. He closed that day with a .277 average, 20 homers and 22 steals.
The really fun part is how he got there. Through April 23, Benge's OPS sat at a painful .416, the kind of number that makes a young hitter's confidence wobble and a fan base nervous. From that date forward he hit .295 with an OPS north of .800. That is not a hot week. That is a young player making adjustments and sticking with them for five straight months.
There were record-book moments too. His 162 hits are the most ever by a Mets rookie. He also chipped in 10 outfield assists, showing off an arm that runners learned to respect. Only seven other players had pulled off a 20-20 season in their debut year, a list that includes Jackson Chourio, Anthony Volpe, Bobby Witt Jr. and Julio Rodriguez. Pretty good company.
Will it win him Rookie of the Year? Probably not, and that is okay. The Reds' Sal Stewart is viewed as the favorite thanks to his big home run and RBI totals, and the Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt edges Benge in WAR among NL rookies (both Benge's bWAR and fWAR are 3.7, second in the league). Benge's case rests on being a complete player: bat, legs, glove and arm. He also earned a spot on MLB Pipeline's All-Rookie Team. And Mets fans can claim another rookie in the conversation, since pitcher Nolan McLean is regarded as the best first-year arm in the NL by a wide margin.
So what does it mean for 2027? New front-office voices are in the building, with David Stearns hinting at encouraging signs and Derek Falvey joining as a senior advisor, and the coaching staff is being reshaped. The roster puzzle is still open. But Benge looks like one piece you can pencil in. A rookie who survived a .416 OPS in April and finished with 20-20 numbers is the kind of player a team builds around.
Mets fans, what do you think: is Benge the face of the next good Mets team? Tell us in the comments
