Mets' A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge have eliminated the club's question marks in the outfield

One of the greats of the game stepped into the lefty box for the Mets at Citi Field, standing there owning sparkling stats and a ticket to another All-Star Game.

There was one stat, though, that really bothered Juan Soto before Wednesday night’s game against Kansas City — 38-54, the Mets’ record.

“It’s great to see the numbers,” Soto told Newsday in the clubhouse, numbers that now include a .295 average, a .410 on-base percentage, a .978 OPS, 20 homers and 49 RBIs after a 6-2 win made the record 39-54 — still pretty bad.

“It’s just really disappointing to see where we’re at [from] the standpoint as a team. It’s really tough. We’ve been trying everything to get this thing going. It hasn’t worked. So it’s just tough.”

But to get Soto to smile, all you have to do is ask him about the two kids who play alongside of him.

The outfield isn’t looking like an area that needs fixing among the problems here, not with Soto, the now five-time All-Star and 2026 starter, in left and the two promising, homegrown, lefty-hitting rookies out there on the pristine green grass, 21-year-old A.J. Ewing in center and 23-year-old Carson Benge in right.

“I think they are great,” Soto said. “They are really good athletes. It’s really cool to see their development down there in the minor leagues and now showing what they’ve been working on up here.”

Soto sees a quality outfield moving forward for the long term.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Soto said. “It’s going to have a lot of energy because that’s what these guys bring every day, and a lot of talent. We have what we need.”

Andy Green sees the same thing.

“I think it’s really encouraging to look out there and see what we would expect to be the continuity over the next couple of years with guys that are producing and producing really well,” the interim manager said.

Ewing went 4-for-4 with a walk, a homer, three RBIs, four runs and a steal in Tuesday night’s 16-12 loss to the Royals. Then he launched his first career leadoff homer Wednesday night, giving him five homers in his last 14 games.

“I think it’s just being comfortable in the box,” he said. “It’s not really something I’m pushing for. It’s more line drive stuff. But the fact that I’m getting the ball in the air to the pull side is cool.”

The Mets called up the fast-moving Ewing on May 12 after he had started the season with Double-A Binghamton and played just 12 games with Triple-A Syracuse. He swiped 70 bases in the minors last season.

Luis Robert Jr., who started the season in center, had gone down with a spinal disc herniation in late April. Ewing loudly announced his presence in his first game, against Detroit, becoming the first debuting player since at least 1900 to post a triple, three walks, a steal and multiple RBIs.

But reaching a true comfort level took a bit of time.

“I’ve definitely been more comfortable as it’s gone on,” Ewing said. “I’d say that about three weeks ago, I started to feel like myself.”

“When I say like comfortable in the box, I literally mean just relaxed,” he added.

His slash line is up to .279/.360/.453 with seven homers, 24 RBIs, 22 walks and nine steals in 53 games. The recent decision to move Ewing up to leadoff against righties seemed like a good fit with his skill set.

“I think naturally I see a lot of pitches,” Ewing said.

Benge made the team out of spring training. After going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run in this latest game, he has a slash line of .265/.327/.410 with 11 homers, 36 RBIs and 12 steals in 90 games.

He’s also tied for second in the majors with 73 hits dating to May 3.

“It’s a dynamic outfield with young kids playing alongside of the best hitter in the game,” Green said. “The young kids play the game the right way. I think a lot of people, from the scouts that found them to the people that coached them, helped those guys take steps forward, and now they belong in the outfield. They know it.

“You’ve got a guy in A.J. Ewing, from an on-base perspective, [who] is hopefully somebody that can stay at the top of the lineup for a long time. He’s got a lot of work to prove that he can do that. He’s done it for a few months. And Carson is someone that I think is a middle-of-the-order type bat in the long run, too.”

Soto hasn’t tried to take an overt mentor’s role with his young colleagues.

“I just try to be one of them,” Soto said. “I try to learn from them. I hope they try to learn from me, too. We go about our business with each other. We push together. We care about each other. We try our best.”

Ewing and Benge can watch Soto start for the second time in an All-Star Game Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The fans spoke with their votes.

“I’m proud of it, to be on it,” Soto said. “It’s a pleasure for me. I can’t thank the fans enough. To put me in the spot they put me in, it was really cool to see.”