Carson Benge had a great opening day against the Pirates, hitting his 1st MLB HR. But from there the Mets prospect was rancid for quite a while. On May 2nd, he was batting
.179, with only 2 HR's and 6 RBI's. He was on the verge of being sent down, until the Mets clean-up hitter (Soto) went down running 1st to 3rd. He injures himself running the bases or merely swinging at pitches (while batting) and misses weeks or months? Steroid soft tissue issues popping up?
That was all the break Benge needed. Finished the season with a .282 BA, which in modern day MLB ranked him just outside of the
top 10 hitters in the N.L. He was the best all-around rookie (defense, arm, steals) in the N.L., but the Reds 3B will get R.O.Y. due to his slugging stats. Obviously,
Konnor Griffin of the Pirates could've challenged for R.O.Y., if not injured.
Want to mention an ex-A.L. HR champ that did not reach the 20 mark.... did not reach double digits.
Just 9 HR's. (609 PA's)
What would be said about a White star that hit
48 HR's as a 22 year old, but only 9 as a 27 year old?
What would be said about a White star that hit 9 HR's after signing a 14-year, $500 million contract extension?
Would that White player be a national laughing stock,
widely derided (as Kyle Tucker has) or would he seemingly slide by as having an "off-year", as
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays in April 2025, running through the 2039 season
2026 Performance: In the first year of the extension, Guerrero experienced a statistical dip, hitting .263 with 9 home runs and 56 RBIs.
The Rogers Centre Drought: Most bafflingly, Vladdy failed to hit a single regular-season home run at Toronto's Rogers Centre during the entire 2026 season, with all of his home runs coming on the road.
Controversial Comments: He made headlines in September 2026 after stating in a Spanish-language interview that his massive contract was paid for past achievements rather than future performance. He later publicly apologized to fans and teammates for the remarks
What do I think happened to Guerrero's power?
I and some excellent posters discussed it extensively in the 2019 MLB season post from May 24th to Oct. 1st, 2019 --
Steroids and the Latin players
My Theory: Basically, once Vlad Jr. got his 14 year deal, he got off the juice -- as a suspension would jeopardize his contract. Good for him; bad for the Blue Jays, if this is the case. If no serious injuries can explain this,
can there be any other plausible explanation?
