The New York Mets have a couple of new rising stars, and on paper they’re completely different. Starter Nolan McLean is the young phenom who’s arrived, while outfield prospect Carson Benge has been given the green light to grab the right field job in spring training if he can hit enough to stay on the field.
But McLean and Benge do have a couple of things in common: They played together at the same college, Oklahoma State, and they were both two-way players, with pitching and positional play on their resumes.
Naturally, this commonality has inspired some feisty competition, and Scott Chiusano of MLB.com did a dive into who did what, who’s better and why. The two Mets were college roommates, which means this is likely a familiar back-and-forth argument.
Start with Benge’s cautious throw-down. He was asked on a Reddit Q&A who’s better, McLean as a hitter or himself as a pitcher, and Benge offered up a cautious opinion.
Chiusano then went to the tape. Benge made 18 appearances on the mound for the Cowboys, four of them starts, and he posted a 3.16 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 37 innings.
McLean, meanwhile, earned the audacious nickname of “Cowboy Ohtani,” based on posting a .911 OPS with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 2023, and the year before he hit 19 homers in 242 at-bats. McLean was also originally drafted as a two-way player, so that gives him a slight edge there, but Benge is pushing hard to join his old roommate on teh field at the next level.
“It was truly a blessing being able to play with him in college, and then to have a chance to play with him in the major leagues is truly something," Benge said. "We've known each other for four years now, and seeing his ascent through the minors and the success he's had makes me want to get there and be with him so much sooner."
Benge is also blessed to have his spring-training locker next to outfielder Juan Soto, so hopefully he can get some hitting tips. (And maybe help Soto as an outfielder?)
“I’m gonna try to stick close to him and learn from him because I feel like he's one of the best in the game, so sticking to him I'll definitely pick up some things," Benge said. "Not only just him but Tyrone Taylor, Luis Robert [Jr.]. All those guys that have been out there and proven themselves out there, just staying close to them and trying to pick up on what they've learned throughout their careers."
His strategy with Soto will have to wait until Soto returns from the WBC, but that should also open up even more playing time for Benge. He’s got a big opportunity this spring, and so far he looks like he belongs, based on his early at-bats and Benge’s ability to make contact with two strikes.