PORT ST. LUCIE — Carson Benge has wasted no time gaining new fans. The Mets‘ top position player prospect and second-overall has had fans following him throughout spring training workouts, kids asking for autographs and a line of reporters waiting to talk to him in front of his locker almost daily.
Count Keith Hernandez among them. The former Mets first baseman and SNY broadcaster came away impressed with what he saw after watching him take batting practice with the big league group on the main field at Clover Park on Thursday. The open stance, the leg kick, the gather, the level swing, and finally, the hard line drives off his bat from the left side.
“He’s a guy that impacts the baseball to all fields,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
The 23-year-old Oklahoma State product has always been a natural hitter, slashing .335/.444/665 with 18 homers his junior season. He possessed some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the 2024 draft class, and hit the ball hard. But that was with an aluminum bat, and with a line-drive swing, scouts were unsure if his power would translate to the pros.
The Mets’ hitting group saw the potential, thinking it would show up at the next level if he could put some muscle on his lanky 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. After the team selected him in the first round in 2024 they decided to take him off of the mound and get him in the weight room, where he has since put on close to 20 pounds of muscle. It shows in how hard he hits the ball.
“I think I’m probably 20 pounds heavier now, but moving the same, if not better,” Benge said. “So I feel like that was a big, big part of that. Switching over from both to just hitting, I feel helped me pretty good too.”
It wasn’t difficult to drop pitching, knowing it could help get him to the big leagues faster. He couldn’t have a more perfect opportunity to get there this season. Primarily a center fielder in the minor leagues, Benge played right field all three seasons for the Cowboys. With Juan Soto moving to left field, Benge is able to compete for the Opening Day job in right.
“I’ve been there more so I feel more comfortable with it,” Benge said. “Not to say I feel uncomfortable in any of the other spots, I just feel like, with the amount of reps I’ve gotten, right field feels the most comfortable for me, but I still feel pretty solid in center and left.”
A strong right arm that came from years of pitching helps him in the outfield. He topped out at 96 on the mound in college, plus crow hops help him get even more juice on his throws. Benge isn’t particularly speedy, but fast enough to play center field, and adept enough in his routes and tracking to play center as well.
Early in the offseason, president of baseball operations, David Stearns, said Benge would get a chance to compete for a job in spring training. The Mets were consistent with this all winter, weighing outfield options in their offseason decisions. Still, Benge’s name is written in pencil, not pen, when it comes to the Opening Day roster. Grapefruit League games don’t typically carry a ton of weight, but they matter some, and if the Mets don’t think he’s ready for the big leagues, they’ll make decisions accordingly.
Tyrone Taylor is an excellent defensive outfielder at all three positions, and the Mets are having Brett Baty work out in the outfield this spring as part of his transition to a utility role.
Even if Benge doesn’t start the season in Queens, he’s still expected to play a role for the Major League team this season. But so far, the Mets like what they’re seeing from him in workouts.
“The one thing that I’ve seen the past few days here doing live at-bats is his ability to foul off tough pitches, especially when he gets behind count,” Mendoza said. “That, for me, is a really good sign that he’s able to stay in the fight.”
Benge is getting the full big-league treatment in his first big league camp. His locker was briefly next to Soto’s before the team brought in Mike Tauchman on a minor league contract, but it’s not far from the lockers of Soto or Bo Bichette.
There are developmental aspects the Mets want to see from Benge, but the biggest thing is that they want to see him comfortable with who he is as a player, while still striving to get better and learn from the established players around him.
It’s the same advice Matt Holliday, the brother of his college coach Josh Holliday, gave him.
“[He said] to just be myself,” Benge said. “That’s the main thing, always be myself.”
