Skip to main content
Rising Apple
FanSided

Carson Benge or Sal Stewart? NY Mets and Reds rookies have been here before

Someone from one of these teams is getting snubbed (again).
ByTim Boyle
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Google Discover
Sep 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The National League Rookie of the Year battle seems like it’ll come down to Carson Benge or Sal Stewart. Does another New York Mets player take the honor or does it end up on the mantle of a Cincinnati Reds freshman? 

It’s not the easiest debate. They are very different players. Benge is easily the best all-around player and if you want to break a tie because he didn’t play at all in the majors prior to 2026, there’s that. He, impressively, barely saw action in Triple-A the year prior, too.

Stewart has the more traditional offensive numbers. His 32 home runs and 111 RBI didn’t lead the league but were among the best. He wasn’t a pushover in any regard, hitting .263 which in today’s sport is practically like hitting .280.

If you’ve hung around the sport long enough, a Mets and Reds rookie battling for Rookie of the Year is nothing new to you. Back in 1968, an equally tough call took place in a literal two-horse race.

The other time a Mets and Reds rookie battled for ROY honors

The year was 1968 and pitching dominated the league. Denny McLain won the AL MVP. Bob Gibson won the NL MVP. It became known as “The Year of the Pitcher” and maybe that’s why a Mets rookie was snubbed.

In these days, voters wouldn’t pick among multiple candidates. They got one. However, in this case, one voter decided to split his vote. Reds rookie and future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench received 10.5 first-place votes. First-year Mets pitcher Jerry Koosman had 9.5. There was no recount. Was there a case to be made that Koosman was more deserving?

New York Yankees pitcher Stan Bahnsen won the AL Rookie of the Year with Del Unser hitting .230 with 1 home run receiving 3 of the 20 possible votes. The challenge for Koosman was that Bench had a good year at the plate in spite of pitchers dominating.

Bench hit .275/.311/.433 and won his first Gold Glove. Koosman was 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA. A 6 bWAR for Koosman and 5 bWAR for Bench might have changed a few votes today. No WAR to reference back then, this seems to be a case of grading on a curve.

Gibson swept the NL Cy Young so Koosman never had any consideration. Koosman received 14 points in the NL MVP race with Bench finishing behind at 11. Are MVP and ROY any different in the minds of the voters? You can bet and especially so in 1968 when they were more untouchable.

Among pitchers, Koosman’s MVP finish in the NL had him behind only Gibson and Juan Marichal. Although tied for a distant 13th, it was an impressive year nonetheless and one of the best individual seasons by a Mets player.

Benge vs. Stewart is possibly a little more straightforward as it’s not comparing a hitting to a pitcher in a season where there was a big shift league-wide. Whoever comes in second has a case as being snubbed. There isn’t even a team record to help guide voters as neither the Mets nor Reds made the playoffs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Home/Mets History