Mets rookie of the year candidates?
Carson Benge and AJ Ewing are making a case, even as probable long shots at the midway point of the season
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets took the series against the Royals with a 7-3 win in the series finale (box)
LHP Sean Manaea was solid again on the mound. He pitched seven innings and gave up three runs, two earned, and struck out six.
LF Juan Soto’s hot hitting continued. He went 1-for-2, with a home run, two runs scored, a RBI, and two walks
RF Carson Benge got the big hit to break the game open. He went 2-for-3, with two runs scored, a RBI, and a walk
A.J. Ewing placed second base for the first time in his major league career after Mark Vientos exited with an injury
CF Tyrone Taylor tied the game with a solo shot in the fifth inning. Overall he went 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI
RHP Clay Holmes is open to a mid-season extension to stay in Queens (The Athletic)
Injury Updates 🏥
1B Mark Vientos was diagnosed with a fractured bone in his right hand after he was hit by a pitch on Thursday - he will be placed on the injured list before Friday’s game
Roster Moves 📰
RHP Dan Hammer selected to the Major League Roster
RHP Tobias Myers was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
OF Jared Oliva designated for assignment
Play of the Game ⭐️
The Mets tied the game in the fifth when Tyrone Taylor led off the inning with a home run, but the Mets were not done that inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Bo Bichette hit a sacrifice fly to give the Mets their first lead of the day.
Carson Benge then broke the game open with a bloop single to drive in another run. He was credited with just one RBI despite two runs scoring since centerfielder Lane Thomas made a throwing error on the play. The team got a little lucky with the error on the play, but when Benge puts balls in play, good things can happen given his speed. Juan Soto tacked on an insurance run later on, but those runs ended up being the difference-maker in the game.
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Who’s Hot? 🥵
Over his last 15 games, OF A.J. Ewing is hitting .340/.417/.660 5 home runs, six walks, 12 runs scored, 11 RBIs, and two stolen bases
Over his last seven games, LF Juan Soto is hitting .333/.515/.833/ with four home runs, nine walks, six runs scored, and 11 RBIs
Over his last 30 games, 3B Bo Bichette is hitting .309/.333/.488 with 5 home runs, 19 runs scored, and 19 RBIs
Over his last 30 games, RF Carson Benge is hitting .306/.368/.484 with five home runs, 11 walks, 21 runs scored, 13 RBIs, and three stolen bases
Who’s Cold? 🥶
Over his last seven games, C Luis Torrens is hitting just .211/.318/.421 with one home run, five runs, three RBIs, three walks, and three strikeouts
Down on the Farm 🌾
CF Nick Morabito (No. 10 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-4, R, 2B, BB, K
DH Chris Suero (No. 13 prospect, Double-A): 2-for-5, R, 2 2B, K
SS Mitch Voit (No. 5 prospect, High-A): 2-for-2, 2 R, 3 RBIs, 2 BB
BOX SCORES
Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (40-54) vs. Red Sox (43-48)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Nolan McLean (6-5, 3.73 ERA) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (10-1, 2.61 ERA)
When: 7:15 PM EDT
Where to Watch: Apple TV
Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing - rookie of the year candidates! ✍️
There is still plenty of baseball left to be played, but with the way both Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have played recently, it certainly feels like their names should be under consideration when the rookie of the year award gets handed out at the end of the season.
Over the last seven games, Benge is hitting .385/.484/.538 with one home run, three RBIs, seven runs, five walks, and two stolen bases. Ewing has been just as hot and looks to be a formidable lead-off man. Over his last seven games, he is hitting .333/.379/.704 with three home runs, five RBIs, 8 runs, two walks, and a stolen base.
They are also getting it done on defense, earning the nickname “The Psychopaths,” and Benge is Mr. Pulchritudinous according to Gary Cohen. Ewing even stepped in at second base in the finale against the Royals after Mark Vientos exited with an injury.
Right now, Benge and Ewing are fourth and fifth by fWAR for rookies in the National League, respectively. The Cardinals’ 2B, JJ Wetherholt, is the favorite right now since he is leading all rookies with a 3.6 fWAR. However, Ewing is second in wRC+ behind only Cole Carrigg, who has only played in 27 games so far this season, and third in OBP and average behind both Carrigg and TJ Rumfield from Colorado.
Ewing is also fifth in OPS among qualified rookies.
Benge, on the other hand, bests his teammate in home runs and RBI, where he is fifth among rookies and third in stolen bases, although Ewing is still fifth in swiped bags. To be fair to Ewing, he has also played in fewer games than Benge this season since he did not make the team out of camp and was only called up as an injury replacement.
Benge struggled to start the season but has really turned it on as of late, along with Ewing. There was hype around the outfield duo of Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo when they first came up as well, but injuries never allowed them to reach their full potential at the same time, so hopefully, this is just the beginning for these two. The outfield trio of Juan Soto, Carson Benge, and AJ Ewing has the potential to be one of the best in all of baseball beyond this season if they continue to play like they have this season and live up to their potential.
Wetherholt might ultimately end up taking the Rookie of the Year crown this season, but that doesn’t at all diminish what Ewing and Benge are accomplishing in their first big league seasons. Seeing these two rookies excel at the major league level has been one of the more exciting developments in an otherwise dismal season for the Mets, and it’s at least giving people a reason to tune in as the Mets continue to spiral into irrelevancy.
Also, there’s a lot of baseball left, as I said. One of Ewing or Benge or even both could continue this upward trajectory and enter into the conversation with Wetherholt
Around the League 🚩
Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras got his suspension stemming from an on the field brawl against the Nationals reduced to five games after an appeal (ESPN)
Phillies 1B Bryce Harper announced that he will be participating in the Home Run Derby to try and win the second derby of his career (ESPN)
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will undergo more tests on his hip during the All-Star break to try and get a clearer picture of his possible return to the lineup (MLB.com)
The Padres acquired All-Star closer Mason Miller last year in a trade but with their recent struggles could they move Miller at the deadline this year (MLB.com)
With the trade deadline approaching, Jeff Passan breaks down every player that could be on the move and their potential landing spots (ESPN)