The New York Mets have announced that outfielder Carson Benge will join the team as a non-roster invitee to MLB Spring Training. Benge was selected No. 19 overall in the 2024 draft. He’s zoomed through the Mets’ system, reaching Triple-A by the end of his first full professional season. Benge will now have the chance to compete for a big-league roster spot this spring.
New York’s outfield could look quite different in 2026. Juan Soto will be back in right field, but the rest of the position group has undergone a transformation. Longtime left fielder Brandon Nimmo was shipped to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien. Trade deadline acquisition Cedric Mullins departed in free agency, signing with the Tampa Bay Rays. Starling Marte is a free agent. The Mets brought in Luis Robert to patrol center field.
Benge’s inclusion in the Spring Training mix is the second notable news item for the Mets’ outfield in recent days. The club also signed outfielder MJ Melendez to a one-year deal. The former Kansas City regular will battle for the left field reps vacated by Nimmo.
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Young pitchers litter the Mets’ top prospect leaderboards, but Benge is the prized asset on the offensive side. MLB.com had the outfielder at No. 2 last season, behind only right-hander Nolan McLean. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Benge fourth in his midseason update, behind righties Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, and McLean.
Benge has hit the ground running in the minor leagues. The lefty swinger put up a 150 wRC+ in his brief stint at Single-A in 2024. He opened last season at High-A, and immediately showed he was too talented for the level. Benge slashed .302/.417/.480 in 62 games with Brooklyn. The strong first couple of months earned him a promotion in June. Benge continued to terrorize minor league pitching at Double-A. He hit .317 with eight home runs and four stolen bases in 32 games with Binghamton.
The bump to Triple-A finally slowed down Benge’s ascent up the minor league ladder. He scuffled to a .178/.272/.311 line across 24 games at Syracuse. It was the first instance of the then 22-year-old not destroying a level. If he doesn’t make the big-league squad out of camp, he’ll likely take another swing at Triple-A pitching to begin 2026.
Benge Isn’t the Only Big Prospect at Spring Training
There were a handful of notable names heading to Port St. Lucie. Infielder Jacob Reimer and outfielder A.J. Ewing also made the cut. Reimer and Ewing round out the top five on MLB.com’s Mets prospects list. FanGraphs has Reimer at No. 5 and Ewing at No. 7. Neither player has reached Triple-A yet, so they’re both long shots to break camp with the team.
One prospect who could challenge for a spot in the big-league bullpen is Ryan Lambert. The 23-year-old right-hander dominated minor league opponents last season. Lambert posted a sterling 1.62 ERA over 50 innings between High-A and Double-A. He could push for a relief role in a bullpen that features a dearth of reliable arms beyond free agent acquisitions Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
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