STILLWATER – Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart seems to be the favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year award which will be announced in early November. Oklahoma State and New York Mets fans are hoping it will be one of two former Cowboys baseball players that just finished their rookie seasons in the MLB playing in the Big Apple. While rightfielder Carson Benge and pitcher Nolan McLean had terriffic seasons, Stewart is likely to edge them out. However, both could bring home celebrated hardware as Benge and McLean were both named as finalists at their position for the Rawling Gold Glove award.
A Gold Glove is given to a player at each position, including utility, ineach league that signifies they are the best defensive player at that position. Benge is one of three finalist in right field along with Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs.
McLean is one of three finalist among pitchers in the National League that includes Atlanta Braves left-handed ace Chris Sale and St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy.
McLean, a two-way player while at Oklahoma State as he started and relieved as a pitcher and played right field, left field, and also DH’d as an Oklahoma State Cowboy.
This past season he was 12-10 on the mound with a 3.16 ERA. He struck out 194 hitters in 179 and two-thirds innings. he finished strong with a 2.40 ERA and and average of six innings pitched and 8.1 strike outs in his last five starts. As a pitcher, he had few defensive opportunities, but he was perfect when he did and finished with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Benge, who played outfield and mainly right field as an Oklahoma State player, came out of spring training having earned a place on the Mets roster and the starting job in right field. He finished hitting .282 with 20 home runs, and 65 RBI. He also had 22 doubles, three triples, and a .346 on-base percentage.
As a fielder, he played 19 games in left field, 11 games in center field, and 134 games in right field. In right, he had a fielding percentage of .985 and finished with four errors in 273 chances. He also was part of two double plays. In center field he was perfect on 27 total chances and had a 1.000 fielding percentage. In left, he had two errors in 31 chances for a .935 fielding percentage.
Overall, in in 154 games, Benge had 331 total chances and just six errors for a fielding percentage of .982. For comparison, Suzuki had a .992 fielding percentage, all in right field, and Corbin Carroll had a .989 fielding percentage.
