Please Don’t Touch the Rookie

What to make of the New York Mets in these opening weeks of the back half of the 2026 season? Well, they’re still in fifth place in the NL East, 18.5 games behind the Braves. In terms of the playoff picture, they’re 12 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, in front of only the Colorado Rockies in the National League.

Andy Green has been named Interim Manager for the remainder of the season. He joined the Mets organization in 2023 and previously served as Senior Vice President, Baseball Development. He also managed the San Diego Padres from 2016-19, guiding the club to a 274-366 (.428) record.

The 48-year-old Green started as a player, playing parts of four Major League seasons with the Diamondbacks (2004-06) and appearing in four games with the Mets in 2009. The Mets are 9-13 since Green took the helm.

But let’s focus on the bright side. Carson Benge was batting .295 (18-61) with eight runs, three doubles, two homers, eight RBI, seven walks, five steals with a .362 OBP, a .443 SLG and a .805 OPS before Friday’s game against the Dodgers. His .263 batting average was second in the NL among qualified rookies. He’d also collected 98 hits this year, which was fourth among all rookies.

Benge had also recorded 16 steals this season, the second-most by any rookie this year. The record by a Mets rookie is 24 set by Mookie Wilson in 1981.

Over the last four games, Francisco Lindor, was 8-15 (.533) before Friday’s game with two runs, two doubles, one homer, four RBI, three walks and a 1.478 OPS. He owned a .240/.315/.434 slashline against right-handed pitching this year.

In 17 games in July, Lindor was batting .270/.352/.460 with three doubles, three homers and an .812 OPS after returning from injury.

And so with the August 3 trade deadline now even closer, the contrast between the bleak standings and these individual hot streaks draws a clear line in the sand for the Mets front office.

While the Mets seem poised to sell off short-term pieces, the performances of a resurgent Lindor and a record-chasing Benge prove that the cupboard isn’t entirely bare. Offering hints of who is untouchable as the roster undergoes its next transition. And perhaps, who should be.