Oklahoma State Professional Athletes

While the New York Mets (60-75) are fading from playoff contention, their two Oklahoma State alumni are doing everything possible to keep the fanbase engaged — and the NL Rookie of the Year conversation genuinely interesting.

McLean Is More Than a Prospect Narrative

Nolan McLean isn't just a good story. He's been one of the better pitchers in the National League this season, full stop. The right-hander turned in another quality start Saturday against the Astros — seven innings, four strikeouts, ERA sitting at 3.06 — extending a stretch that has analysts openly making his case for hardware. Yahoo Sports has gone as far as declaring him a "serious NL Rookie of the Year contender," and a recent New York Times piece framed the award question as a legitimate debate rather than a longshot.

The week opened on a sour note through no fault of McLean's. His six-inning, six-strikeout gem against the White Sox on Sunday, Aug. 23 was wasted when Kodai Senga surrendered a walk-off homer in relief, dropping the Mets 2-1. McLean's ERA through that start: 3.21. Post-Astros start: 3.06. The arrow is pointing down in the right direction.

Benge Is Getting the Respect Treatment

Carson Benge is hitting .279 on the week and doing it in ways that force opposing managers to react. On Tuesday against the Brewers, Benge had already gone 3-for-3 when Milwaukee elected to intentionally walk him entering extra innings — a decision Yahoo Sports called "a declaration to the league" that the rookie can flat-out hit. He added two more hits across the White Sox series (two Sunday, one Saturday) and drove in a run Friday against Houston.

An ESPN analyst flagged Benge's award candidacy in a segment that drew attention this week, and with McLean on the same ballot, the Cowboys are responsible for what could become a genuinely competitive dual-alumni award push.

Elsewhere in the OSU Alumni Network

Christian Encarnacion-Strand had the best week of any Cowboy not in a Mets uniform. Playing for Baltimore, he went 4-for-4 with two RBIs in the Orioles' 8-7 win over St. Louis on Wednesday, then added a solo homer and three RBIs in a 13-1 blowout the following day. He finished the stretch batting .272, showing the bat-to-ball skills that earned him a big-league roster spot.

Donovan Walton quietly contributed in Oakland, going 1-for-1 with an RBI Wednesday against Minnesota and picking up additional hits across the week to maintain a .278 average. He also factored into a three-run eighth-inning rally that gave the Athletics a 4-3 comeback win over Houston on Saturday.

Brady Basso had a mixed week out of the Athletics bullpen — two solid innings against Minnesota on Thursday, but a rough one-inning outing Sunday in which he allowed three earned runs, leaving his ERA at 4.67.

The bigger picture for OSU fans: with McLean scheduled to make additional starts before the season closes and Benge sustaining production that's drawing intentional walks, Stillwater alumni are making a legitimate noise in the sport's most prominent rookie race.

Carson Benge is no longer just a promising rookie. The Oklahoma State product is making the NL Rookie of the Year conversation awkward for everyone who hasn't been paying attention.

The Mets' right fielder put together one of the more complete weeks any rookie has managed this season, combining timely hitting, clutch defense, and a cannon arm that left the San Diego Padres looking foolish on the basepaths. By the time the Mets-Padres series wrapped Wednesday, Benge had authored highlight reels that will look good on a trophy ballot.

The Arm

Monday night set the tone. In the first inning alone, Benge threw out two Padres runners at the plate — the kind of plays that force opponents to rethink their entire baserunning approach. Teammate A.J. Ewing added a third nab an inning later, turning what could have been a rough start into a 2-1 Mets win. Fellow OSU alum Nolan McLean, who spun six innings of one-run ball, was the direct beneficiary — those three outs at the plate saved his line and, likely, the game.

The Bat

Wednesday, Benge shifted to offense. He went 2-for-the-day with his 15th home run of the season — a two-run shot that helped New York close out the Padres 4-2 and take the series two games to one. Interim manager Andy Green had reportedly issued Benge an in-game challenge during the contest; Benge answered. He also homered Saturday against the White Sox, going 3-for-his-day with two RBI and two runs scored, pushing his batting average to .276 on the season.

Through the week, Benge's name is firmly in the same NL ROY breath as JJ Wetherholt and Sal Stewart — not as a dark horse, but as a legitimate frontrunner.

The Supporting Cast

Two other Cowboys had notable weeks, though under very different circumstances.

McLean's Monday gem against San Diego — 6 IP, 3 K, 1 ER — was quietly excellent, and the right-hander benefited from the kind of outfield support most pitchers only dream about. His ERA sits at 3.34, a number that holds up fine in any rookie pitching conversation.

Meanwhile, fellow OSU alum Justin Wrobleski's week went sideways fast. The Dodgers' All-Star left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list on August 16 with left forearm irritation, just one day after logging six innings in a loss to the Brewers. Los Angeles recalled Kyle Hurt from Triple-A to fill the roster spot. With the Dodgers already stretched thin on pitching amid a playoff race, Wrobleski's absence is a genuine concern — and the possibility that he returns as a bullpen arm rather than a starter hasn't been ruled out.

Donovan Walton (Athletics) had a productive week at the plate, collecting hits in four of his appearances and posting a .283 average by Saturday. Christian Encarnacion-Strand had his best game Monday for the Orioles — 3-for-the-night with a homer and four RBI in a 10-2 rout of the Rays — before going quiet the rest of the week.

But make no mistake: this was Benge's week, and Pokes fans should be watching every at-bat and every fly ball hit to right field for the rest of the season.

Cowboys on the Mets Are Making Noise

Oklahoma State's Carson Benge is doing everything right in his first MLB season — hitting, driving in runs, making highlight-reel plays, and bouncing back from a scare that could have derailed a lesser rookie.

The most alarming moment of Benge's week came Friday night against the Pirates, when he crashed into the outfield wall making a sliding catch and was removed with left wrist soreness. It looked bad. It wasn't. Imaging on Saturday came back positive, and Benge told reporters he expects to return "within a few days." For a player who has become one of New York's most reliable bats, even a brief absence would sting — but the bigger story is that he made the catch at all.

That play capped a week in which the OSU product was arguably the Mets' hottest hitter. Benge went 3-for-6 with two runs scored in Thursday's 13-6 blowout of the Guardians, part of a series in which he also launched a homer on Tuesday and another on Wednesday — homers in back-to-back games against Cleveland. Against Pittsburgh on Friday, before the injury, he went 2-for-the-game with two RBIs and a run scored. Dating back through the week, Benge posted hits in every game he played, with home runs, multi-hit outings, and clutch run production becoming a consistent theme.

When asked about his approach, Benge kept it refreshingly simple: "See ball, hit ball." That philosophy is working. He's carrying a .270 average and a growing reputation as a legitimate everyday piece for the Mets.

McLean Holds the Rotation Line

While Benge has grabbed the headlines, fellow Cowboy Nolan McLean has quietly held down a starting rotation spot on the same Mets squad — no small feat for a young right-hander in New York.

McLean's week had its rough edge. On Thursday against the Guardians, he allowed five runs over five innings with eight strikeouts — his worst start in months, per reports. Control remained a recurring issue, something the organization has flagged as a developmental focus for the young arm. But here's the context that matters: the Mets won 13-6 anyway, completing a three-game sweep of Cleveland. McLean battled through it, made adjustments mid-outing, and logged five innings to preserve the bullpen during a blowout.

The ERA sits at 3.51. For a young starter working through command inconsistencies in the middle of a pennant race, that number tells a more encouraging story than any single bad start.

Two OSU pitchers starting games for the same MLB team in the same week is not a footnote — it's a legitimate Cowboy presence in a New York rotation that is very much in the hunt.

Around the Horn

Elsewhere in the OSU alumni landscape this week, Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski had a nightmare outing against the Cubs on August 3rd, surrendering four home runs and seven earned runs in a 10-5 loss — part of a four-game losing skid for Los Angeles. Wrobleski's struggles with the long ball have become a serious concern.

Donovan Walton continued to quietly contribute for the Athletics, posting two RBIs on Saturday and hitting .285 on the week. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is seeing time with the Orioles, picking up a hit Saturday while hitting .245. Victor Mederos made back-to-back relief appearances for the Braves, striking out five over three combined innings.