The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates clashed in the first matchup of Opening Day. Following the New York Yankees' 7-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in the Opening Night tilt on Wednesday evening, the Mets were determined to one-up their city rivals. Well, double-digit runs in an 11-7 victory over the Pirates certainly showed that Queens' home team came to play. During the win, New York rookie outfielder Carson Benge hit his first major league home run. Stats-focused X (formerly Twitter) account ShamusTalksSports shared that Benge is the second youngest player in franchise history to homer on Opening Day.
“Carson Benge is now the 2nd youngest player in Mets history to homer on Opening Day,” shared the sports statistician after the blast.
Just ahead of Benge is franchise legend Darryl Strawberry, who hit a home run on Opening Day in 1984 at just shy of 22 years old. Right behind Benge? The man also known as “the Captain” in Mets franchise lore, former third baseman David Wright. He accomplished the feat in 2005. Benge rode a strong Spring Training into New York's starting right field job. For a team hunting down a postseason berth, the former first-rounder is just the latest piece of a puzzle that formed this winter.
In addition to the rookie now playing right field, the Mets also added veterans such as Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, and Jorge Polanco to a core led by superstars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. Many hoped that Benge would claim an outfield job over the last few weeks, and the ex-Oklahoma State star did just that. Can Benge prove that his Opening Day dinger was the first of many in blue and orange? If so, then the Mets' quest to return to October will become much smoother.
