Rookie Carson Benge’s Five-Hit Game Shows How Quickly He’s Figuring It Out

The New York Mets season has been a mostly dismal affair so far, but there have been some bright spots here and there. One of the best is the way rookie Carson Benge is starting to figure it out, and yesterday he showed out again.  

It's happening quickly, too. Yesterday Benge had a five-hit game against the San Diego Padres as the Mets won the rubber game of the series, 7-3. 

Benge’s performance was basically an exclamation mark on a stretch that started at the beginning of May, according to Cole Bradley of MLB.com, that’s seen him hitting 316 with five homers and 20 RBIs in OPS of .873. He's also posted some landmark records, including his first leadoff home run, his first career walk-off hit, and his first steal of home against the Seattle Mariners.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Benge is his ability to weather the tough stretches. He got through a massive 0-for-24 slump in April, and as a result it took weeks for him to get his batting average over .200. 

He plays with a quiet sense of his own game that’s s starting to show more and more in each passing game, and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is one of many observers who’s noted how important that is. 

“I think it’s just the confidence,” Mendoza said. “I’ve been saying it, the one thing that makes him who he is is the ability to bounce back. There were the past few games where he was 0-fer, nothing to show for, and he’s the same guy. That, for me, says a lot. He doesn’t panic.”

The Mets were also willing to stick with Benge through all of his tough stretches. There were plenty of times when he could've been sent down for more seasoning, but the Mets elected to keep him in the lineup.

“I’m not surprised by it, because we’ve seen the type of player [he is] and the talent,” Mendoza said of the strides Benge has made. “He’s settling [in], he’s comfortable, he’s playing his game. We’re going to see a lot of games like [the five-hit game.]”

Another plus is the friendly environment the Mets have created for him. Both Benge and fellow rookie oufielder A.J. Ewing have both commented on how relatively easy it's been to come into a team in New York that’s loaded with superstars.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I feel like I’m in a good spot right now,” Benge said earlier in the series. “Being able to play every day, get out there, work on different things. I feel like all in all it’s been good.”