Aug 25, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) hits a single in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Regardless of the analytical revolution that has gripped Major League Baseball, the traditional home-runs-and-RBI stat line still sells, and it’s why Carson Benge is not holding the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart received 20 of 30 first-place votes and 170 total points to win the award. Benge finished second with seven first-place votes and 107 points, though two voters astonishingly had him as low as fifth.
The voters, who, like this writer, are members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, still put a premium on power, hence why the one-dimensional Stewart was announced the winner on Monday night.
He played in all 162 games, hit 32 home runs, and drove in 112 runs — a remarkable first full season for the 22-year-old. Those were, however, two of the few major offensive categories that he had a beat on Benge.
The Mets’ 23-year-old outfielder, who made his MLB debut on Opening Day, bested Stewart in hits (168 to 164), stolen bases (22 to 15), batting average (.282 to .263), on-base percentage (.346 to .330), and OPS+ (118 to 117).
Had Benge gotten off to a quicker start, there likely would have been an even larger disparity in these numbers. He had a .498 OPS in early May, then caught fire in the form of an .828 OPS over his last 126 games, becoming the first Mets rookie ever to record a 20/20 season.
There is no contest when looking at the defensive metrics. Stewart’s Fielding Run Value of minus-4 ranked in MLB’s 21st percentile. His range of minus-2 was in the 30th percentile, and his first-base receiving, also a minus-2, was in the 17th.
Benge’s Fielding Run Value of 8 was good for the league’s 85th percentile. His range (1) was in the 69th percentile, his arm value (7) was in the 100th, and his arm strength (96.6 mph) was in the 99th. He also led all NL right fielders with 10 outfield assists.
Combining the offensive and defensive contributions, Benge’s Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was more than double that of Stewart’s: 4.3 to 2.0.
It seems like the voting should have been a bit closer, if not flipped the other way.
For more on Carson Benge and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
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