Entering Saturday’s Subway Series matchup, Mets right fielder Carson Benge had gone 18 games since his last home run and was stuck in the middle of a quiet slump – so quiet, it was hard to notice because of what else the rookie does on the field.
From his sensational diving catches seemingly every other night to either throwing runners out on the bases or holding them from advancing because of his cannon of an arm, Benge’s impact on a game extends beyond his production at the plate.
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Nevertheless, the rookie snapped his homer-less streak in the third inning against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on a 1-0 slider that went high in the air with a launch angle of 43 degrees before landing 368 feet away in the bleachers in right center field.
The home run was the Mets’ third off Cole, extended their lead to 4-0, and gave Benge 17 on the season. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBI.
“We put together some good at-bats early and just kept chipping away and eventually got [Cole] out [of the game], so overall I think we did a really good job at our plan today,” Benge said.
But the 23-year-old wasn’t done there.
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In the bottom of the eighth, Aaron Judge lined one towards the gap in right center field, but the outfielder sprinted across the field, laid out and made a beautiful catch as he’s done so often before during his rookie campaign.
“It’s fun watching guys play the game all out and leaving it all out there all the time,” said interim manager Andy Green. “The diving catches are turning into something that you now expect which tells you something about the type of defender he is.
“When it goes in the gap and you see him running you’re like ‘he’s gonna lay out and catch this,’ he just does it again and again and again.”
Benge’s catches, while amazing, have become so commonplace now that, much like their skipper, Juan Soto expects him to make it every single time and doled out high praise for the youngster.
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“He doesn’t impress me anymore, I think he’s a superstar,” Soto said. “He’s doing things that superstars do everyday. I mean everyday he’ll always find a way to make us smile with the swing, with the running, with the throws. It’s just incredible.”
It’s true, while he was picked off and caught trying to steal second base on Saturday, Benge has 22 stolen bases on the season to go along with the ridiculous catches and composure at the plate. He also has 10 outfield assists in right field, the most among all rookies, and is putting together one of the most complete all-around seasons as a rookie.
But if you ask Benge what he likes more: hitting a home run or making a great catch, he said going yard is “definitely way better,” perhaps signifying that his amazing grabs are becoming standard for him, too.
When told about Soto dropping “superstar” when describing him, Benge was appreciative, but composed.
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“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s pretty special to be able to catch someone’s eye like that so that’s really cool and I’ll just keep on doing my thing and working hard everyday.”
