This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Even after a lost season, the Mets have a real chance at some postseason hardware.
With the World Series set to end this week, Major League Baseball’s awards season will begin. Several Mets have a chance to cash in on individual honors, thanks in large part to the team’s excellent rookie class.
Here's a look at those who could be recognized:
Carson Benge
Candidate for: Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove
With two weeks left in the regular season, Benge wasn’t a realistic National League Rookie of the Year winner. That’s because his offensive numbers paled compared to those of Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart, who hit 32 homers and briefly led the league in RBIs. But Stewart hit just .121 without an extra-base hit in his final eight games, opening the door for Benge to come crashing through it.
Over his last nine games, Benge hit .472 with three doubles, two homers, seven RBIs and a 1.259 OPS, all while playing exemplary defense in right field. He finished his rookie campaign with 20 home runs, 22 stolen bases and a .776 OPS, just 11 points lower than Stewart. His WAR, meanwhile, was more than double Stewart’s.
Defensively, Benge has a legitimate argument for the best arm in the Majors. (Statcast’s Arm Value metric rated him first.) That’s a big part of why he’s also a Gold Glove candidate. We’ll soon learn whether Benge’s total package will be enough to push him past Stewart, St. Louis' JJ Wetherholt and others for NL Rookie of the Year.
Nolan McLean
Candidate for: Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove
Realistically, McLean won’t place ahead of Benge or Stewart for the aforementioned Rookie of the Year award, despite his status as the NL’s clear top rookie pitcher. But McLean could easily finish in the Top 3 while potentially winning a different piece of hardware. Like Benge, McLean is a standout defender at his position, which is perhaps unsurprising given his history as a two-way player at Oklahoma State.
After playing six different positions in college, McLean has transitioned seamlessly to full-time mound work. Defensive Runs Saved, a catch-all metric designed to quantify a player’s overall contributions, ranked him fifth in the Majors behind Brent Suter, Michael McGreevy, Tanner Bibee and Shota Imanaga.
Armed with a sharp pickoff move and a quick delivery to the plate, McLean effectively discouraged opposing baserunners from even attempting to steal. They tried just eight times all year. For those reasons, McLean is an NL Gold Glove finalist alongside McGreevy and 2024 winner Chris Sale.
A.J. Ewing
Candidate for: Rookie of the Year
To be clear: Ewing isn’t going to win Rookie of the Year over Benge, who had an objectively better season overall. But he could garner a few down-ballot votes, which would be a fine way for the baseball world to recognize what Ewing accomplished as a freshman. Among his accolades were a franchise rookie record 25 stolen bases.
Luis Torrens
Candidate for: Gold Glove
Torrens also faces an unlikely path to an award, mostly because he’s not a full-time player. Yet while caddying for starter Francisco Alvarez, Torrens threw out 17 of 44 would-be base stealers and rated in the 85th percentile or better in Statcast’s blocking, framing and pop time metrics. Pound for pound, he’s been one of the best defensive catchers in baseball for multiple years running, which is why he’s a Gold Glove finalist.
Rawlings will announce the winners of the Gold Glove Awards on Nov. 1, while the Rookie of the Year announcement will take place Nov. 9. A full guide to awards season is here.