For most teams, there are often prospects involved in multiple positional battles, but that’s not really the case for the New York Mets this spring training. There’s really only one prospect story line, and it’s the battle between Carson Benge and Mike Tauchman for the right field job.
It’s been a spirited competition so far, and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com called it one of the “biggest stories in camp” in a story in which MLB writers picked out a single prospect making noise from each team.
Tauchman fired the first shot in this battle, slamming a three-run home run in one of his initial plate appearances. Benge’s first few at-bats were on the quiet side, but he recently had a 3-for-3 game in which he demonstrated his ability to make contact with two strikes.
This is supposedly an open competition, but the Mets would love it if Benge continued to hit and grabbed the job. They already know Benge is a plus outfielder who would improve their defense in right, although it wouldn’t take much given how bad outfielder Juan Soto was there last season. Tauchman is 35, and while having him make the team would be a nice feel-good story, there’s no doubt that Benge represents the future.
There are plenty of other names in the Mets’ outfield competition. They include Tyrone Taylor and MJ Melendez, and infielder Brett Baty is also scheduled to get some time in right this week. If Benge continues to hit, the Mets will probably pare this list down considerably, as they need to clarify their lineup fairly quickly given all the uncertainty they have around the diamond.
The WBC will complicate all this, too. It makes it more difficult for teams like the Mets to sort things out as they set their lineup, and this is the week the disruption starts for real. Starters Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes are already penciled in to join Team USA, and they’re further ahead in their ramp-up process, as evidenced by Holmes throwing four strong innings against the Houston Astros yesterday.
Benge went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in that game, but he still has an early slash line of .308/.357/.308, which reflects his lack of power at this point in his career. Tauchman also went hitless, but his slash line is .286/.444/.857, which reflects his power potential. There’s a long way to go in this competition, but it’s impressive to see Benge holding his own so far given his lack of at-bats at even the Triple A level.