Carson Benge believes his historic first season with the Mets has earned him the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Carson Benge isn't shying away from his belief that his remarkable rookie season with the New York Mets should be recognized.
Benge believes he deserves to be named National League Rookie of the Year.
"I think I deserve it," Benge told the New York Post. "I think I showed in the whole season, in all facets of the game, that I did a pretty good job showcasing my talent, but there's definitely other good rookies out there."
Benge certainly has a case.
The 23-year-old finished his first major-league season with a .776 OPS, 20 home runs, and 22 stolen bases, while also establishing himself as New York's regular right fielder.
His combination of power and speed also helped Benge make Mets history as the franchise's first rookie with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
Benge finished with 4.3 Baseball-Reference WAR, according to the Post, compared with 1.8 for Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, one of his primary competitors for the award. St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt finished at 4.5.
Stewart has the more impressive traditional power numbers, hitting 32 home runs with 111 RBIs and a .787 OPS.
Benge believes his more complete game deserves consideration.
"I feel like I would be deserving of the award in the most humble way possible," Benge said. "I don't mean to come off cocky."
Benge's season becomes even more impressive considering how poorly it started.
His OPS had fallen to .498 by May 2, raising questions about whether he was ready for the majors. He responded with an OPS above .800 in each of the final three months of the season and emerged as one of the biggest bright spots in a disappointing year for New York.
He also passed Pete Alonso to set the Mets' rookie record for hits in a season in September.
Benge isn't the only Mets rookie who could receive consideration. Pitcher Nolan McLean is also among the candidates after a strong season.
But Benge has already established himself as a significant piece of the Mets' future. Juan Soto recently pointed to the young outfielder as one reason he remains confident New York can return to contention in 2027.
Now Benge is making it clear he believes his first season deserves some hardware, too.
