Mets rookie reaches same milestone as Daryl Strawberry

Major League Baseball’s most encouraging Mets story might have nothing to do with salvaging 2026. It might be about what they just found for 2027 and beyond.

Carson Benge has officially entered some ridiculous franchise company. His home run against San Diego gave him 15 homers and 18 stolen bases during his rookie season.

The Mets themselves put the accomplishment into perspective Thursday: Benge joined Darryl Strawberry as the only Mets rookies with at least 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases.

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Read that name again – Yes, that Darryl StrawberryThe New York Mets Daryl Strawberry signs autographs prior to a charity game against the Boston Red Sox to benefit the Jimmy Fund at Fenway Park in Boston Sept. 4, 1986. The Mets won the game 7-3. The two teams would meet later the following month in the World Series which the Mets won in a dramatic 7-game series.

Strawberry did it in 1983 – then won National League Rookie of the Year.

That does not mean Benge is becoming the next Strawberry. Comparing any 23-year-old to one of the most talented players in franchise history is how reasonable prospect conversations become stupid ones.

But the comparison tells us something. This is no longer just a nice rookie season.

Benge has shown power, speed and an increasingly ridiculous outfield arm. He has already produced nine outfield assists, including a stretch in which he threw runners out at home on consecutive nights.

He is also making a legitimate run at a 20-20 rookie season. That hits because the Mets spent the trade deadline moving veterans and acknowledging that this version of the roster wasn’t going anywhere.

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Benge gives the reset a faceJul 3, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) during the game against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

The Mets have been searching for young, controllable players capable of becoming part of the next legitimate contender rather than another expensive patch for the current one.

They may have found one. I’m not calling Carson Benge the next Darryl Strawberry. 

But when the only other Mets rookie on your list is Strawberry? You’re doing something worth paying attention to.

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