The Major League Baseball season's characterization as a "marathon" is more appropriate than any other professional sport.

There are plenty of ebbs and flows over the course of the 162-game season. Performances can't be defined by a single month or stretch of time.

The extensive nature of the campaign is what made the National League race for Rookie of the Year one of the most contentious contests in the MLB Award season. Over the course of six months, five candidates rose to the top in the Reds' Sal Stewart, Mets' Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt and Rockies' TJ Rumfield.

In the end, it was Stewart who was named the NL Rookie of the Year honor as the Baseball Writers Association of American announced the award on Monday night. Stewart took home the honor on the strength of his 32 home runs and 112 RBI, which led all NL rookies, along with 87 runs, a .787 OPS, 25 doubles and 15 stolen bases.

Stewart earned 20 of the 30 possible first-place votes. The Mets' Benge ended up as the runner-up with seven first-place votes, three second-place votes and 12 third-place designations.

One of those votes for Benge to receive the top honor was mine.

When the BBWAA assigned its award designations to the writers in early August, the Rookie of the Year race appeared to be a two-horse race between Stewart and Wetherholt. But over the the final two months of the season, Benge's kick provided further intrigue.

That's why the season is an endurance race. And by the completion of the 2026 season, I believe Benge had done enough in all facets of the game to warrant the top slot in the Rookie of the Year vote.

Stewart's explosive bat made him a top contender. The Reds first baseman had the second-most RBI and eighth-most home runs in the National League while he slashed .263/.330/.457. But defensively, he posted a -2 outs above average and a negative first-base receiving score.

Wetherholt, who finished third in the voting, proved he had one of the best gloves in all of baseball, boasting a +25 outs above average that trailed only Cubs MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong for the best mark in baseball. While batting atop the Cardinals' lineup, the second baseman led all rookies with 89 runs, while adding 17 home runs, 51 RBI and 14 stolen bases but posting an unassuming .242/.339/.365 slash line in 139 games.

Benge provided the best of both worlds in terms of offense and defense despite a slow start through the opening two months, which hurt his case in the early going. Benge opened with a .189 batting average and .525 OPS through the month of April. He slashed .299/.363/.457 over the final five months.

The Mets right-fielder led all rookies with 168 hits — matching the Tigers' Kevin McGonigle in the American League — and was second among NL rookies in batting average (.282) and home runs (20) and third in RBI (65) and stolen bases (22). Benge is the only NL rookie to finish in the top three in each of those key offensive categories.

Benge's 118 OPS+ bested both Stewart and Wetherholt. He had a better batting average and on-base percentage than both. And his offensive spark only told half the story.

Benge was one of the three finalists for the NL Gold Glove in right field. His 10 outfield assists were the third-most among all NL outfielders while he boasted a 7 defensive runs saved. Benge's arm value was the best in baseball, along with the fifth-highest arm strength in MLB.

Stewart might have had the best offensive season among all rookies in baseball, while Wetherholt proved to be one of the best young defensive infielders.

Benge was at the top of his class in a multitude of different categories while flashing one of the best outfield gloves in all of the National League. The Mets also saw Nolan McLean finish in fourth place and A.J. Ewing receive a fifth-place vote.

Benge might not have earned the hardware on Monday night, but his first season, and those supplied by McLean and Ewing alongside him, us enough to have Mets fans yearning for more heading into a bright future.