Andres Chavez
The New York Mets find themselves in a classic spring training tug-of-war. On one side, you have the reliable veterans and established names like Mike Tauchman, Brett Baty, and Tyrone Taylor, all of whom are vying for the starting nod in right field. On the other side, there is the tantalizing potential of Carson Benge.
While the coaching staff appreciates the steady floor provided by the internal candidates, there is a collective, unspoken hope in the front office that Benge simply kicks the door down and makes the decision for them.
A Diamond Finding Its Shine
Most of the veterans in camp are putting up respectable numbers, but Benge is also providing electricity. He enters the final stretch of the Grapefruit League as a consensus top 20 prospect, and while the over-the-fence power hasn’t fully migrated from the practice fields to the box scores yet, the rest of his game is screaming for a promotion.
Think of him like a high-performance engine that’s currently purring at highway speeds; the scouts know the top-end gear is there, even if he hasn’t had to floor it just yet.
His statistical resume this spring is hard to ignore. Before Monday’s matchup against the Washington Nationals, Benge has put up a .367 average across 10 games. Beyond the batting average, he has chipped in a triple, a stolen base, and five RBI, culminating in a .840 OPS and a 127 wRC+. He even flashed that missing power stroke earlier this spring, clearing the wall in an exhibition contest against Team Israel before the World Baseball Classic kicked off.
Managing the Hype
Despite the mounting excitement, manager Carlos Mendoza is keeping the temperature low. The Mets aren’t asking for a superhero performance in the final week of camp; they just want to see the same disciplined approach that has defined Benge’s rise through the system.
Mendoza noted via SNY: “A lot can happen between now and Opening Day. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do — I like how he’s playing defense, got into a couple of games in center, and I like the at-bats he’s taking — there’s just a lot to like.
“He doesn’t need to do anything extra at this point, just continue to go out there and be himself and let us make that decision, which is not an easy situation to be in for a young player like that.”
It is a refreshing lack of pressure for a player who is still adjusting to the upper echelons of professional ball. Benge’s 2025 campaign was a tale of two extremes. He absolutely scorched High-A with a 168 wRC+ and was even better in Double-A with a 184 wRC+. While he hit a speed bump during a 103-plate appearance stint in Triple-A, resulting in a 53 wRC+, his season totals of 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases proved he is a rare breed of athlete.
The Rarity of the Profile
What makes Benge such a fascinating case for the Mets is the combination of skills that usually don’t live in the same jersey. He rarely strikes out and possesses a refined eye for walks, yet he pairs that patience with legitimate speed and raw power.
Finding a player who can grind out an eight-pitch walk and then immediately swipe second base is like finding a Swiss Army knife that also happens to be a broadsword. The Mets know they have something special; now they just have to decide if the Carson Benge era begins on Opening Day or if they’ll let the diamond polish just a little longer in the minors.
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