QUEENS, NY — In a perfect world, Carson Benge’s first hit of the night — a screaming liner over the right-field fence in the second inning of Saturday’s 10-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies — would have been the one to set the Mets’ single-season rookie record.
Instead, it was an excuse-me check-swing that doinked off his bat and rolled up the third-base line, staying fair the whole way in the bottom of the eighth, and proved to be hit No. 156 on the season, breaking Pete Alonso’s rookie record set back in 2019.
In true Benge fashion, though, such talk rolled off his back, just as any semblance of adversity has all season for New York’s slick rookie star.
“I don’t care,” he said of those who want to give him heat for how he got that record-breaking hit. “They don’t have the record.”
Call it nonchalance, call it overconfidence, but this is what makes the 23-year-old Oklahoma State product tick. He always knew that he had the stuff to hang in the majors, even when he was batting .136 a month into the season.
Benge rode out the storm and, with it, became a bona fide finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Since April 23 (128 games), he’s batting .294 with an .805 OPS, 18 home runs, and 58 RBI.
“I came in knowing I belonged,” Benge said. “It was kind of rough there in the beginning, but sticking to my path and grinding out every day, and then now, finally showing others that I belong here…
“It kind of proves that I’m tough. I won’t let things get me down too much. Just staying level-headed the whole time and not really worrying too much about the results. Just going day by day.”
Benge collected three hits in total on Saturday night — back-to-back singles in the seventh and eighth innings following that second-inning round-tripper, which was his 19th of the season. He is now tied for fourth on the Mets’ single-season rookie home run list behind only Alonso (53 in 2019), Darryl Strawberry (26 in 1983), and Francisco Alvarez (25 in 2023).
Following his record-breaking infield hit, a standing ovation prompted the rookie to tip doff his helmet to the appreciative fan base, which surely was a refreshing change of pace after the Mets’ previous series against the Orioles, where the returning Alonso was the subject of such rituals on multiple occasions.
“It’s special,” Benge said. “It’s special to see all 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.”
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