SAN DIEGO -- Carson Benge lightly strummed an acoustic guitar sitting at his locker in the visiting clubhouse at Petco Park, casually riffing for a moment ahead of the Mets' series opener in San Diego on Friday.
The rookie, who learned how to play the instrument while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery before his freshman season at Oklahoma State, has been trying to find the right tune as a first-time big leaguer this season.
A little over two months into his career, Benge is in a groove.
The 23-year-old recorded his first career five-hit performance in New York’s 7-3 win over the Padres on Sunday afternoon, belting his seventh home run of the year to go with a trio of singles and an RBI triple to pad the lead in the eighth inning.
He is the first Mets rookie with five-plus hits in a single game since Pete Alonso on Aug. 15, 2019, and the fourth Mets rookie with five-plus hits (including a home run) in one game.
That list also includes Alonso's 2019 game above, as well as:
Alex Ochoa (July 3, 1996)
John Milner (Sept. 8, 1972)
The series victory secured a .500 trip for the Mets in their final West Coast swing of the regular season.
“Today was nice,” said Benge, who gifted the five-hit ball to his dad. “It’s nice to get two hits, let alone five. Being able to do that was pretty special.”
After playing his way onto the Mets’ Opening Day roster as the club’s starting right fielder this spring, Benge has accumulated a 0.7 bWAR and a .733 OPS through 62 games. It’s far from eye-popping, but a look at the past month and change reveals that adjustments have been made.
Benge is batting .316 with five homers and 20 RBIs to pair with an .873 OPS since the start of May, a stretch that has included no shortage of impressive firsts, such as his first career walk-off and his first leadoff home run.
There’s also been plenty of defensive highlights in right field, where Benge has clearly excelled alongside fellow rookie A.J. Ewing. And, of course, there’s the steal of home last week in Seattle, where Benge became the first Met to swipe home since Francisco Lindor on Aug. 19, 2023.
Playing in an environment that has made him feel like he belongs has helped, as Ewing can also attest to.
"It’s been awesome, the clubhouse here has been great,” said Ewing, who is an avid guitar player himself. “These guys have shown me and Carson a lot of love and made us super comfortable. I’m just blessed that I’m in this spot to be here.”
But beyond that, it’s Benge's demeanor that has kept him steady through the very early stages of his Major League career, perhaps the most tumultuous time for any player.
“I think it’s just the confidence,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I’ve been saying it, the one thing that makes him who he is is the ability to bounce back. There were the past few games where he was 0-fer, nothing to show for, and he’s the same guy. That, for me, says a lot. He doesn’t panic.”
Neither the Mets nor Benge himself are surprised that he’s started to come around. It was the expectation when the club cleared a path for him to be its everyday right fielder during Spring Training.
Getting the opportunity to play every day is often rare for a young player, even ones with top-prospect pedigree. New York has given him those chances, though, and it’s paid dividends.
“I’m not surprised by it, because we’ve seen the type of player [he is] and the talent,” Mendoza said of the strides Benge has made. “He’s settling [in], he’s comfortable, he’s playing his game. We’re going to see a lot of games like that.”
As for his guitar playing, that’s taken a backseat to baseball, naturally.
It’s been awhile since he’s played regularly, but Benge will pick up one of the two guitars the Mets carry with them in the clubhouse from time to time and strum a few chords.
On Sunday, it was Ewing on the six-string jamming a series of classic riffs while Benge bleated some of the lyrics to Cage the Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams.” Band or ballclub? You decide for yourself.
One thing is certain, though: Benge has settled into his new environment nicely.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I feel like I’m in a good spot right now,” Benge said earlier in the series. “Being able to play every day, get out there, work on different things. I feel like all in all it’s been good.”