Carson Benge passed Pete Alonso to set the Mets' rookie record with his 156th hit Saturday, continuing a remarkable turnaround from his difficult April.
The New York Mets have a new rookie hits leader.
And Carson Benge couldn't have broken Pete Alonso's franchise record in a much less glamorous way.
Benge collected his 156th hit of the season in Saturday's 10-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, passing the 155 hits Alonso recorded during his historic rookie season in 2019.
The record-breaking hit came on a check-swing roller down the third-base line in the eighth inning. Benge beat it out for an RBI single before acknowledging the Citi Field crowd after his achievement was announced on the video board.
It was a stark contrast from how Benge started his night.
The 23-year-old outfielder launched a 370-foot solo home run off Phillies starter Andrew Painter in the second inning for his 19th homer of the season. Benge later added a broken-bat single in the seventh to tie Alonso's record before passing him an inning later.
Benge finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, a walk and two runs scored.
"It's special," Benge told MLB.com. "It's special to see the guys that have come through here, all the greats and the types of players that have come through here and been rookies here. So being able to hold that is pretty special."
Alonso had held the record since 2019, when he surpassed Ty Wigginton's previous mark of 146 hits. He went on to hit 53 home runs that season, setting a Major League rookie record.
Benge's path to his own place in the Mets' record book looked far less certain early this season.
The Mets' first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft made the Opening Day roster despite never playing above Double-A before this year. He then hit just .136 over his first 20 major-league games, creating questions about whether New York might send him to the minors.
The Mets stuck with him.
Benge has rewarded that patience. He has hit .294 since April 23 and has recorded 12 three-hit games during that stretch, according to MLB.com.
The turnaround also helped Benge earn a spot on MLB.com's 2026 All-Debut Team earlier this week.
He also reached the record in a much different way than Alonso did.
Benge's 156 hits include 19 home runs, 19 doubles and three triples. He has also stolen 22 bases, leaving him two shy of the Mets' rookie record shared by Mookie Wilson and A.J. Ewing.
Interim manager Andy Green found it fitting that Benge broke the hits record without exactly scorching the baseball.
"That's poetic," Green told MLB.com. "You get hits all sorts of different ways."
Benge now owns the record regardless of how No. 156 looked.
Asked whether teammates gave him any grief about breaking it on a check-swing roller, Benge laughed.
"I don't care," he said. "They don't have the record."
