New York Mets outfield prospect Carson Benge is pushing hard to make the 40-man roster coming out of spring training, and yesterday he hit his first home run of the spring, going yard in an exhibition game against Team Israel as the Mets posted a 5-2 win.
The most impressive thing about Benge’s blast is that it once again came with two strikes, as he his a fastball from Cleveland Guardians minor-leaguer Ryan Prager 350 feet to the opposite field.
“It always feels great, but I can't really focus too much on results or anything,” Benge said in a piece written by Marc Feinsand of MLB.com. “My work that I do pregame and postgame is really all that matters to me.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was impressed by the home run in that particular count, given that a lot of hitters have to cut back on their stroke and become defensive hitters.
“Two strikes, he stays in there, and he's not only able to put the ball in play, but he drives the ball with authority,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s part of what he does. It's exciting.”
At this point, though, the Mets are more interested in Benge’s approach and demeanor than the results. They know the talent’s there, and they clearly believe in Benge as a long-term solution, which is why GM David Stearns gave the Mets' No. 2 prospect free rein to win the job.
For Mendoza, it’s the way Benge has handled lefties that has also stood out. That’s probably the biggest hurdle for left-handed hitters who have produced in the minors, although Benge did struggle in his brief Triple A cameo at the end of the year after excelling in both Double- and Triple-A.
“I've been impressed with the quality of the bats as far as left-on-left, fouling off pitches, putting the ball in play, his ability to drive the baseball to all fields," Mendoza added.
Benge says he’s not trying to do anything different against lefties, and his stats with two strikes against him reflect that. It’s one of his major strengths, and there are times when the 23-year old outfielder almost seems to take it for granted.
There are still three weeks left in spring training, so what the Mets are likely looking for at this point is consistency. Pitchers will change their approach some now that they’ve seen Benge in multiple games, and tape is always being accumulated, even in spring training games.
That means adjustments, so that will be the next challenge. Benge doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the environment at all, but he’s going to have a row of games when he doesn’t hit, and how he manages to come out of that inevitable tailspin will play a big role in where he starts the season late this month.