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New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge has been named one of three finalists for the National League Rookie of the Year award. The 23-year-old was selected alongside Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart and St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt, with the winner scheduled to be announced next week.
Benge’s Standout Debut Season
The nomination comes shortly after Benge missed out on a Gold Glove Award, which was awarded to Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll. Despite missing out on that defense honor, Benge enjoyed a productive overall campaign both offensively and defensively. He registered a .282/.346/.430 slash line with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs while leading all National League right fielders with 10 outfield assists.
If selected as the winner, Benge would become the seventh player in franchise history to earn the honor. Previous Mets Rookie of the Year recipients include Tom Seaver in 1967, Jon Matlack in 1972, Darryl Strawberry in 1983, Dwight Gooden in 1984, Jacob deGrom in 2014, and Pete Alonso in 2019.
Pitching Additions and Front Office Connections
In addition to the award nomination, the Mets made several roster updates to bolster their organizational pitching depth ahead of the deadline to set 40-man rosters. The club claimed 26-year-old right-hander Jack Anderson off waivers from the Minnesota Twins and 27-year-old right-hander Pierson Ohl off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.
Anderson recorded a 2.19 ERA across seven relief appearances shared between the Boston Red Sox and the Twins last season. Ohl spent the past season recovering from Tommy John surgery after previously appearing in 14 major league games—including 11 out of the bullpen—for the Twins in 2025, where he posted a 5.10 ERA. Both pitchers share prior organizational ties with Derek Falvey, who joined the Mets as a senior adviser in September following his tenure leading the Twins’ front office.
Additional Roster Transactions
The Mets announced a series of secondary roster adjustments alongside the waiver claims. Infielders Christian Cairo and Kyren Paris—the latter claimed off waivers last week—were signed to major league contracts and subsequently designated for assignment to manage roster space.
Elsewhere on the waiver wire, right-handed pitcher Cameron Weston was claimed by the Miami Marlins, and left-handed pitcher Philip Abner was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles. Outfielder Cristian Pache, who had been designated for assignment last week, was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse, while infielder Eric Wagaman chose to enter free agency rather than accept an assignment to Syracuse.
The team also reinstated pitchers Reed Garrett and Tylor Megill, along with infielder Jorge Polanco, from the 60-day injured list. Garrett and Megill spent the previous season rehabilitating from elbow surgeries, while Polanco underwent late-season ankle surgery after participating in 37 games.
