Top Mets Prospect Carson Benge Wins Starting RF Job

The Mets are a very different team now than they were a year ago. Part of that is them moving on from several franchise staples and bringing in some new names in free agency. But there is also a bit of a youth movement. Mets fans already got a taste of that last year with Nolan McClean. But now there is a new young name fans should get used to. Carson Benge, one of their top prospects, has won the starting RF job out of Spring Training.

Benge is the Mets' 2nd-rated prospect, behind only McClean, and the 16th-ranked overall.

Benge entered the Spring knowing he had a chance to win the job. He made the most of hit. Benge hit .366 with a .874 OPS.

"Joy over everything, I would say. Just knowing that I worked hard for it. Countless hours I spent, and all my family members and friends that have sacrificed some time for me, and that it's all going to come true," Benge told reporters after the Mets broke camp. "It's going to be surreal. I'm going to try my best to take it in. But, stay calm and play my game."

It became clear early on that Benge would win the job. His main competition was Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez. Two veterans who have never quite blossomed into rock-solid, everyday players. The Mets wanted Benge to take the job, and he did.

Juan Soto played Right for them last year. This year, he is moving over to left field. Luis Robert Jr is in center. They tried to sign Kyle Tucker to play RF, but he opted to sign with the Dodgers. The Mets' backup plan is one of the highest-rated OF prospects in the league.

The Mets drafted Benge in 2024. In 31 minor league games, Benge hit .280/.389/.468/.857. Now he gets the chance to show if he can carry that success over to the big leagues.