New York Mets outfield prospect Carson Benge has been in the news a lot this winter, but most Mets fans know little or nothing about him as a hitter. They know he ranks high on just about every prospect list in baseball, and they know Benge has risen rapidly through the Mets farm system.
But there’s a lot more to Benge’s prospect profile than those generalities, and Matt Eddy of Baseball America did a profile that honed in on some of Benge’s major talents, not to mention some details most fans have no idea about.
Start with the fact that Benge was the first player drafted by GM David Stearns when he joined the Mets in 2024. Benge was the 19th overall pick in the draft that year, and the 23-year old outfielder also has a strong connection with starter Nolan McClean, starting with the fact that they were both two-way players at Oklahoma State.
“Hopefully, getting to play with him in MLB will be something special,” Benge said, adding that McLean texted him right after they were drafted.
Benge started the year at High-A Brooklyn and thrived, according to Eddy, and he was quickly moved up to Double-A Binghamton, in late June. Another promotion to Triple-A Syracuse followed in August, and Benge’s numbers for the season included a slash line of .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 116 games.
This is where things tend to get confusing with Benge. His numbers tailed off at Syracuse, to the point where some fans see him starting the season there, despite the fact that Stearns has said he’ll be given a full chance to earn a big-league job.
“He can really hit,” one scout said, summing up his assessment of Benge.
In particular, Benge can hit with two strikes. He hit six home runs with a .611 OPS last year in two-strike counts, and while it’s not a fair comparison yet, the MLB average in that particular split is .512.
“I feel like I have a good two-strike approach,” Benge said. “It doesn’t bug me to hit with two strikes. It helps me do what I need to do. It helps me know not to expand.”
Benge knows as well as anyone that there’s a lot of noise out there about his potential, but he’s focusing on preparing his body for the long season. He attended the Mets strength camp last fall, acocording to Eddy, and he reported to spring training early in January so he could have the best shot at making the Opening Day roster.
“I know when I get up there, my bat will be able to play, and my glove will be able to play,” Benge said. “I’m focusing on staying healthy for the long season and doing what I can do to help my body.”