Why this NY Mets rookie is the first one who should get an early extension

Not a lot has gone right for the New York Mets this season, but take a look at the National League Rookie of the Year odds heading into the second half, and you'll find three members of the roster featured prominently. Nolan McLean is the highest profile player of the trio, but Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have certainly staked their claim to stardom as well in 2026.

With a trade deadline sell-off almost certainly on the horizon after a 40-57 first half, the development of these young guns is what New York Mets have to look forward to over the next few months. That's not as exciting as a postseason push, of course, but it could portend October success in the future.

So, if we know the Mets will build around these three rookies (and Juan Soto) moving forward, wouldn't it make sense to lock at least one of them into a long-term contract for the foreseeable future? If so, who should get priority?

Mets should ensure A.J. Ewing is the next rookie star to receive long-term extension

With all due respect to McLean's greatness and the incredibly bright future that awaits him, it's so rarely advisable to extend pre-arb pitchers. Not only is their injury risk far greater than position players, but building around cheap arms is what the best teams do. Such pitchers are also extremely valuable on the trade market, if a rebuild ever becomes a necessity.

Just take a look at all of the young players who have been extended in recent years. The list is dominated by position players, a lot of whom have signed over the past 12 months. Either Ewing or Benge would be a worthy addition to that group, but we'll give the slight edge to the former at the moment.

Why? For one thing, he's been more consistent at the major-league level than his teammate, avoiding the swoons that have sometimes plagued Benge's production. Ewing is also considered a better runner and defender (though Benge is also good in those departments), giving him a higher floor, which is important when you're deciding which 20-something-year-old to invest eight or nine figures into.

Even if you think that the two are equals in terms of talent, though, there's one undeniable fact working in Ewing's favor: he's a center fielder. That position is just simply more valuable than either corner spot, given the defensive demands of being the captain of the outfield. It also helps that he's about 18 months younger than Bege, though that's a marginal advantage when both players are under 24.

In truth, extending either player (or, ideally, both) would be a good piece of business for the Mets. It'd add some cost certainty to the outfield alongside Soto ahead of the expected lockout this offseason, while also setting a precedent for the organization to invest in their own stars, rather than free agents.

And, if nothing else, it'd give us something positive to talk about during what figures to be a difficult second half.

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