Mets Rookie Outfielder Finds His Bat Once Again After Making Bold Change

On the brink of being on the wrong side of back-to-back sweeps, the New York Mets had an unlikely hero help pull out a 4-2 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. The Mets’ now mustache-less outfielder, Carson Benge, drove in two runs on the road to avoid a six-game losing skid.

After debuting the new look and having a big game, the rookie was asked about the reason behind his sudden facial hair change.

“I haven’t really been getting a ton of hits, so I just shaved it off, and it worked,” Benge told reporters after the game.

Benge knocked two singles in the contest, each of which brought in a crucial run. On the year, the 23-year-old has recorded a slash line of .247/.310/.333 with a .644 OPS.

New York had a successful bullpen day against the Reds, with fellow rookie Jonah Tong getting his first win of the season after going 3 ⅔ innings. He showed some control issues by walking four batters compared to just one walk, but he has yet to allow a run in his two major league appearances this season.

Star slugger Juan Soto was the only Met other than Benge to log a multi-hit game in Wednesday's win, including a solo shot to right field to get the scoring underway in the first inning.

Before Wednesday’s game, Benge had recorded just one hit in five games since May 22. The cold stretch game after a scorching hot span of games that included three different three-hit games.

Taken with the 19th overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, Benge displayed a promising bat and defensive arm at Oklahoma State University. In his first full season in the minor leagues last year, Benge held a .281 average and .857 OPS across High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.

He struggled offensively at the Triple-A level, but Benge earned the call-up to the major leagues after an impressive stretch during the Mets’ spring training. He has since played 52 games for the Mets this season.

As Benge goes, for something new with his sudden clean-shaven face, perhaps Benge has found just what he needed to get back to the place he was at the plate before his slump. It’ll be a fun and not-so-serious storyline to follow during a not-so-fun season for the Mets.