Benge launched his 20th home run of the season off starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez in the top of the fifth to also become the 18th rookie in MLB history outright to join the 20-20 club.
The 23-year-old is having himself a fantastic rookie year. Outside of the 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, Benge came into Friday night's matchup slashing .274/.338/.419 with 63 RBI through 153 games.
He had an [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaSWNKF_MCM&pp=ygUMQ2Fyc29uIEJlbmdl" target="_blank"]extra-innings walk-off back[/a] in May. A [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRFRCyxKnV4&pp=ygUMQ2Fyc29uIEJlbmdl" target="_blank"]5-for-5 game[/a] with 10 total bases in June. And even a Little League home run in July, pumping his rookie season full of highlights.
The National League Rookie of the Year candidate is behind Cincinnati Reds' Sal Stewart and Mets teammate Nolan McLean as the favorites for the award, but Benge's impact has been undeniable.
His 20 home runs rank sixth-most among all rookies, second in the NL, while his current 64 RBI ranks ninth. Meanwhile, his 22 stolen bases rank third behind A.J. Ewing (25) and Konnor Griffin (23).
The New York Mets are currently last in the NL East division with a 73-86 record. Should they not win another game, it will be their worst finish to a season since 2017, when they went 70-92.