The Mets have spent most of this season looking for something to hold onto, and three rookies have given them a real reason to look forward. Nolan McLean is the headliner in the National League Rookie of the Year race, but Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have both pushed their way into the conversation as well in 2026.
That matters now because New York is staring at a trade deadline sell-off after a 40-57 first half. The rest of this season may not be about chasing October, but it could still shape the next one, and the next several after that. If the Mets are going to build around McLean, Benge, Ewing and Juan Soto, the question becomes simple: who should be the first young player to get a long-term deal?
The answer points to Ewing.
McLean’s talent is obvious, but extending pre-arbitration pitchers is a risky business. Arms break down more often than position players, and cheap pitching is one of the clearest advantages a good team can keep in its pocket. If a rebuild ever becomes necessary, those same pitchers can also bring back real value in trade.
That’s why the more natural extension candidates are the position players, and Ewing gets the nod over Benge right now. He has been more steady at the big-league level, without the offensive dips that have shown up at times for Benge. He also brings more on defense and on the bases, which gives him a safer profile if a team is deciding where to put eight or nine figures.
Even if you view Ewing and Benge as close in overall talent, center field gives Ewing the edge. That spot carries more value than either corner because of everything it asks a player to do in the middle of the outfield. Ewing is also about 18 months younger than Bege, though that matters less than the position itself when both players are still under 24.
Really, the Mets would be smart to extend either one, and ideally both. It would give the club some cost certainty in the outfield alongside Soto before the expected lockout this offseason, and it would also send a message that New York is willing to invest in its own young core instead of waiting around for outside help.
At the very least, it would give the Mets something positive to talk about in a second half that figures to be rough.
In Other News...
Mets Suddenly Have A New Reason To Love The David Peterson Trade
The David Peterson trade looked like a straightforward swap when the Mets sent the left-hander to the Cubs for Cole Mathis, a prospect who had not yet taken the field in the minors for New York. But the early read on the deal has started to shift, thanks to the way Mathis has been viewed inside the organization and the sense that the Mets may have added a player with more long-term upside than the return initially suggested.
Peterson, meanwhile, has already had a mixed start in Chicago, which has only added to the second-guessing around the move from both sides. For the Mets, the real question now is whether Mathis can turn that promise into production once he gets his first chance in the system, because the trade is beginning to look like one of those deals that could age very differently than it did on draft day. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Have Drawn A Firm Line On Luke Weaver Trade Talks
Luke Weavers strong work out of the bullpen has made him one of the more interesting names to watch as the trade market starts to take shape around the Mets. Even with New York open to listening, this is not the kind of move the club appears eager to make lightly, especially with Weaver giving the staff a reliable late-inning option and the front office still sorting out how to balance present value with longer-term depth.
The Mets stance seems to be that any serious conversation would have to bring back a meaningful package, not just a collection of pieces to fill out a deal. There is also a sense that the club wants flexibility after the deadline to keep evaluating both pitchers and position players, which means Weavers name could linger in the background for a while before anything gets resolved. [Read more 🡒]