Carson Benge Makes Mets History With Rare 20-20 Season

Carson Benge has added another piece of history to his remarkable rookie season with the New York Mets.

Benge hit his 20th home run of the season Friday night against the Washington Nationals, making him the first rookie in Mets history to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.

The accomplishment also put Benge in some rare company across Major League Baseball.

Benge became only the eighth player in MLB history to post a 20-20 season in his debut year, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

The 23-year-old entered Friday with 22 stolen bases and needed only the home run to complete the feat.

He got it in the fifth inning, driving an Andrew Alvarez pitch over the wall in right-center field for a solo home run in the Mets' 7-6 loss.

The milestone came less than a week after Benge passed Pete Alonso to set the Mets' single-season rookie hits record.

Benge now has 162 hits, 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases during a rookie season that started with considerable uncertainty.

He made the Mets' Opening Day roster despite never playing above Double-A before this year, then struggled badly during his first few weeks in the majors.

Benge was hitting just .136 through his first 20 games, but the Mets resisted sending him back to the minors.

He has rewarded that patience with a rookie season that has rewritten parts of the Mets' record book.

Benge's performance also earned him a spot on MLB.com's 2026 All-Debut Team earlier this month.

His latest milestone gives Benge another accomplishment in what has otherwise been a disappointing season for New York.

The Mets will miss the postseason for the second consecutive year, but Benge has established himself as one of the young players the franchise can build around heading into 2027.

And with his 20th home run Friday night, he now owns a combination of power and speed that no Mets rookie before him has achieved.