NEW YORK — Mets right fielder Carson Benge made history on Saturday at Citi Field, setting the franchise rookie record for most hits in a season with a 3-for-4 performance. The 23-year-old collected his record-breaking 156th hit on a check-swing infield single in the eighth inning that drove in a run as part of a four-run inning that put the game out of reach.
Benge moved past Pete Alonso, who held the previous Mets rookie record with 155 hits in 2019. "It's special to see all the guys that have come through here, all the greats and the types of players that have come through here and been rookies here, so being able to hold that is pretty special," Benge said. The milestone night also included his 19th home run of the season, leaving him slashing .276/.339/.420 in 149 games.
The record caps a resilient turnaround after a disastrous start that saw his average dip as low as .091. "I came in [to the league] knowing I belonged," he said. "It was kind of rough there in the beginning, but sticking with my path and grinding out every day and then now finally showing others that I belong here too." Since his debut on Opening Day — and even before that during spring training — Benge has shown an even demeanor, refusing to get too high or too low.
"It kind of just proves that I'm tough, you know?" he said. "I won't let things get me down too much. Just staying level-headed the whole time and not really worrying too much about the results, just going day by day." After his final hit of the game, Benge was met with raucous applause from the Citi Field faithful in the midst of a lost season. "It's amazing. Even though we're out of it, we still got the best fans in the world and being able to see that was pretty cool," he said.