Oklahoma State Professional Athletes

The Collision Heard at Citi Field

Two Oklahoma State alumni were at the center of one of the most frightening scenes in the majors this season — and they were on the same team.

In the sixth inning of the Mets' Thursday night clash with the Phillies, starter Nolan McLean and first baseman Jared Young collided at full speed on a ground ball, McLean's knee slamming directly into Young's head. Young was briefly knocked unconscious and left Citi Field on a stretcher. The Mets confirmed he had feeling in his extremities — he even managed a thumbs-up as he was carted off — but Young was transported to the hospital for evaluation. Interim manager Andy Green called it "a terrifying moment on the baseball field."

The CT scan came back negative, but Young was diagnosed with concussion symptoms and placed on the seven-day concussion IL. He was a 31-year-old first-timer holding down the starting job, hitting .266 with nine homers and 39 RBIs in 103 games before the injury derailed what had been a quietly impressive debut season.

McLean Keeps His ROY Case Intact

What makes the evening even more remarkable: McLean didn't just walk away unscathed — he went on to deliver one of his sharpest outings of the season. The former Cowboy went six innings, allowed just one earned run, and struck out five, keeping his ERA at a tidy 3.18 heading into the stretch run. It was his 30th start of the year.

The performance only strengthened McLean's Rookie of the Year argument. The Sporting News has already flagged him as having the edge over fellow OSU alum Carson Benge in the internal Mets ROY debate — a luxury problem for a franchise with two compelling first-year candidates. His durability and consistency have drawn enough attention that Sports Illustrated floated pairing him with Logan Gilbert in an offseason trade scenario as the foundation of a future Mets rotation.

Benge and Encarnacion-Strand Stay Busy

Benge has been a quiet constant in the Mets lineup all week. The OSU outfielder went 1-for-3 on Thursday, then contributed across a multi-hit weekend — capped by a 3-for-4 showing Saturday with a homer, two RBIs, and two runs scored, lifting his average to .276. He's the kind of steady presence that makes the Mets' future feel genuinely bright.

Meanwhile, Christian Encarnacion-Strand was doing damage in Baltimore. The former Cowboy had a monster Wednesday — three hits, a homer, two RBIs, and three runs scored in a 7-1 Orioles win over the Mets — and added a homer the following day against the Brewers. He's batting .267 on the season and hitting at exactly the right time with Baltimore in playoff contention.

The Bottom Line

Oklahoma State sent two players to the same terrifying moment on a Thursday night in Queens, and somehow both storylines ended with reasons for optimism. Young is out of the hospital. McLean is still one of the best rookie pitching stories in baseball. And Benge and Encarnacion-Strand are reminding the league that Stillwater keeps producing.

Oklahoma State alumni had one of their most visible weeks of the 2026 MLB season, with two Cowboys sharing the same Subway Series stage and a third delivering one of the week's most dramatic moments across the country.

McLean Takes the Stage — and the L — in the Bronx

The marquee moment came Friday night at Yankee Stadium, where Nolan McLean made his Subway Series debut as the Mets' starter. It did not go as scripted. McLean allowed five earned runs over five innings in a 6-4 New York loss, with Cody Bellinger's three-run homer in the second inning serving as the decisive blow — a swing made possible by a successful ABS challenge that kept the inning alive one pitch longer than McLean needed.

The right-hander was candid afterward. "They came out and beat me," he said, per Yahoo Sports. His ERA ticked up to 3.24 on the season, but the outing stood out as a rare clunker in what has otherwise been a strong rookie campaign. Yankees hitters, for their part, emerged from the dugout genuinely complimentary — Aaron Judge and company noted that McLean's stuff was legitimately good, even on an off night.

The rough start didn't erase McLean's larger narrative: he's surged back into CBS Sports' MLB Rookie Rankings as the season winds down, and The Sporting News has him projected for a notable awards nod that goes beyond the traditional Rookie of the Year conversation.

Benge Answers Back

While McLean absorbed the loss Friday, fellow Cowboy Carson Benge was doing his part to keep the Mets competitive throughout the series. Benge went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the Friday defeat, then turned in the week's defining individual performance on Saturday — going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored in a lopsided 12-2 Mets win over the Yankees. His average sits at .273 on the season.

The Saturday explosion punctuated what has been a quietly impressive stretch for Benge, who has appeared in multiple games across the Marlins and Giants series earlier in the week. Sports Illustrated recently profiled him as a legitimate third contender in the NL Rookie of the Year race, alongside two other candidates — a race that now features two Oklahoma State alumni jockeying for consideration from the same clubhouse.

Walton Walks It Off

Out west, Donovan Walton gave Athletics fans a moment they won't forget quickly. In extra innings against the Seattle Mariners, Walton smacked a walk-off home run to lift Oakland to a 6-5 victory. He finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, pushing his average to .277. It was the headliner of a strong week for Walton, who also contributed to the Athletics' 2-0 win over the Blue Jays mid-week — a game in which fellow Cowboy Brady Basso pitched four solid innings with four strikeouts in the win.

Also Tracking

Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a productive week for the Orioles, logging hits in multiple games including a three-hit effort against the Blue Jays on Friday. He's hitting .263 on the season. Justin Wrobleski made a brief two-inning appearance for the Dodgers against the Marlins on Saturday as Los Angeles managed its rotation late in the year.

The strangest subplot in the NL Rookie of the Year race may be that two of its strongest candidates went to the same college, play for the same team, and both wear orange in their blood.

Nolan McLean and Carson Benge — Oklahoma State alumni, New York Mets — are making a joint case for Stillwater's place in baseball history. The question is which Cowboy ends up with the hardware.

McLean Is the Headliner

McLean's Friday night start against the Giants was the kind of outing that firms up award ballots. He went six innings, struck out seven, and allowed two earned runs — not his cleanest line, but a gritty, competitive performance against a team the Mets needed to beat. The victory was part of a five-home-run slugfest New York took convincingly, and McLean got the win. His season ERA now sits at 3.06, a number that commands respect for any starter, let alone a rookie.

It wasn't all smooth. By his own admission, McLean didn't have his best stuff Friday. But he battled through adversity and showed the kind of emotional investment that scouts and voters notice. "I never want to be the guy that just loses that fire," he said after the game.

That start capped a week in which McLean also went seven strong innings against the Astros — allowing just two hits — in a 6-2 Mets win earlier in the stretch. Two outings, two wins, two quality performances. His second-half surge has sparked a genuine front-office conversation in New York: if McLean keeps pitching like this, what kind of starting pitcher do the Mets actually need to pursue this offseason?

Benge Isn't Fading

While McLean dominates the mound narrative, Benge has been a steady presence in right field and is fully aware of the stakes. He's hitting .276 on the season and has reached base or collected hits in each game he appeared in this week — going 1-for-the-day against the Giants on Friday and adding a multi-hit, two-run performance against the Rays earlier in the stretch. He's embraced the ROY conversation openly. "Definitely do want it," he told reporters.

If Benge wins, he'd be the first Met to claim NL Rookie of the Year since Pete Alonso in 2019. The fact that a teammate is his stiffest competition makes the dynamic all the more unusual.

Around the Rest of the Herd

Beyond Citi Field, a few other Cowboys are worth tracking. In Oakland, Donovan Walton (Athletics, 2B) had a strong individual week, going deep against the Mariners on Friday — part of a 7-4 Oakland win — while hitting .272 on the season. He's been quietly consistent as a utility contributor.

Brady Basso (Athletics, P) is working in a relief role with a 4.32 ERA after tossing three innings against the Mariners on Saturday. Justin Wrobleski (Dodgers, P) was activated from the IL as part of Los Angeles's September roster expansion, though he's been shifted to the bullpen as he works to rediscover the form that made him a feel-good story earlier this season.

The Cowboys have hands in pennant races from Queens to Los Angeles. But right now, all roads lead back to Flushing — where McLean is building one of the better rookie pitching seasons in recent Mets memory, and Benge is right there making sure no one forgets about him.

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.