One of the New York Mets’ top prospects will come into spring training with a chance to earn a starting spot for next season.
New York made multiple moves to bolster its roster after a quiet start to the offseason, trading for Marcus Semien and Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert Jr., while also signing Bo Bichette and Devin Williams in free agency. Despite all these additions, the starting left field position is still open.
New York’s 2024 first-round pick, Carson Benge, has a good chance to earn the starting spot in left field during spring training, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
“From the jump this offseason, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made it known that he intended to give Benge, the organization’s No. 2 prospect, a clear shot at making the team,” DiComo wrote Saturday. “True to his word, Stearns did essentially nothing to address left field, leaving it wide open for Benge to claim.
“That doesn’t mean team officials will simply hand the job to Benge, a 23-year-old who has played a total of 24 games — mostly unsuccessfully — above Double-A. But the Mets believe in Benge’s talent, which allowed him to dominate High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton last season. They’re going to give him a real chance to compete for the job. It’s a long way of noting that while the Mets have options, Benge is their clear Option A.”
Benge impressed for most of the 2025 season in High-A and Double-A, climbing through the Mets’ farm system quickly, but struggled once he reached Triple-A. The 23-year-old slashed .178/.272/.311 across 24 games in Triple-A, but showed flashes of potential in the minor leagues last season, mashing 15 home runs and driving in 73 runs.
Despite his struggles toward the end of the season, the Mets are still giving Benge a shot to earn his spot in the big leagues this spring.
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