Mets' Rookie Trio Expected To Provide Significant Future Value

Mantle, Maris and Berra. Rose, Bench and Morgan. Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine. Seaver, Koosman and McGraw. All baseball trios that have enjoyed enduring fame and recognition.

If the writers at MLB.com are in any way prescient, the names of the trio of Benge, McLean and Ewing could potentially be added to that list.

On Monday, MLB.com's Jim Callis posted a piece that attempts to identify which 2026 rookies will accrue the most future value for their teams between now and whenever they hang up their gloves.

Among the top 18 of Callis' list are three New York Mets who were rookies in 2026: outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, and starting pitcher Nolan McLean.

Oddly, though all three qualified as rookies this past season, they arrived in the majors at three uniquely different times.

McLean was the first to arrive as he started eight games for the Mets from mid-August through the conclusion of the 2025 season, during which time he exhibited his vast potential courtesy of a 5-1 record, 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched, all of which earned him an 11th-place finish in the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

McLean followed that up in 2026 by going 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 194 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched.

Benge won the starting rightfield job out of spring training in 2026 and pretty much proved he belonged from Opening Day onward as he finished the season with 156 games played, a .282 average, .776 OPS, 22 doubles, 20 home runs, 65 RBIs and 22 stolen bases, all of which enabled him to lead the Mets this year with 4.3 WAR.

Ewing was the last to make Citi Field home as he joined the club from Triple-A Syracuse on May 12, but he quickly made up for lost time. Ewing patrolled centerfield in 101 of his 119 games played and finished with a .252 batting average, .700 OPS, 11 homers, 43 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.

The performances of all three have enabled them to gather a slew of postseason honors, highlighted by Benge's second- and McLean's fourth-place finish for NL Rookie of the Year, and McLean becoming the first rookie pitcher to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award. In addition, there were numerous inclusions for the three on various All-Rookie and All-Debut teams.

So, it isn't surprising at all that Callis had Benge ranked 10th, McLean 12th and Ewing 18th on his list of 40 2026 rookies who he thinks have flashed the skills to remain significant contributors at the MLB level in the upcoming years.

Now it's up to Benge, McLean and Ewing to prove him right.