In a season when Mets fans were reminded just how much they miss Pete Alonso, rookie Carson Benge gave them a new milestone to celebrate.
Alonso’s return to Citi Field could not have been scripted any more painfully for the organization. He helped the Baltimore Orioles sweep the Mets in three games, blasted the 300th home run of his career and received an emotional curtain call from the fans who once cheered him on every night. It was another reminder that Alonso left New York carrying many of the franchise’s most memorable records and milestones with him.
On Saturday, however, Benge took one of those records for himself.
Benge Passes Alonso
After going 3-for-5, Benge reached 156 hits for the season and surpassed Alonso’s Mets rookie record of 155, established during his unforgettable 2019 campaign. The mark will now belong to Benge until another Mets rookie eventually comes along and breaks it.
For a fanbase still angry about Alonso’s departure, Benge’s accomplishment provides at least a small reason to feel better about the future. Alonso may now be collecting milestones in Baltimore, but one of the records he left behind belongs to a promising young player who is quickly becoming a household name in Metsville.
David Stearns is probably especially pleased that the player who surpassed Alonso was one brought into the organization under his leadership. After watching Mets fans celebrate Alonso’s return and express their frustration over the decision to let him leave, Stearns can finally point toward one of his young players accomplishing something Alonso never did.
A Strong Rookie of the Year Case
Benge has built an impressive National League Rookie of the Year résumé. Among NL rookies, he ranks third in hits behind Sal Stewart and TJ Rumfield and second with 566 at-bats. He also ranks third with 81 runs scored, fifth with 19 doubles, tied for fourth with three triples and second with 19 home runs.
His production has not been limited to hitting. Benge has driven in 61 runs and stolen 22 bases, trailing only Mets teammate A.J. Ewing, who has 24, among the rookie leaders. Benge’s .276 batting average also ranks second among National League rookies.
Those numbers would make Benge a strong Rookie of the Year candidate in many seasons. Unfortunately for him, Stewart appears to be the favorite currently producing 32 home runs and 110 RBIs. It will be difficult for Benge to overcome that level of power and run production when the ballots are finally cast.
That does not diminish what Benge has accomplished. Even if he does not take home the league award, he has unquestionably been the Mets’ Rookie of the Year.
A New Milestone for a New Name
Benge cannot erase the frustration surrounding Alonso’s departure, nor should the Mets use one promising rookie season to pretend everything went according to plan. Alonso returned to Citi Field, reached a historic personal milestone and helped sweep his former team. Mets fans had every right to be emotional and angry about how everything unfolded.
But Benge has now created a little history of his own.
The Mets needed something positive to emerge from this disappointing season, and Benge has provided it. Alonso will always be remembered for his historic rookie year, but the franchise’s rookie hits record no longer belongs to the Polar Bear.
It belongs to Carson Benge, the newest household name in Metsville.
