The New York Mets have gotten off to a decent start to the 2026 season. New York’s pitching staff has received plenty of attention to start the campaign, and rightly so. The Mets have allowed just 3.2 runs per game and posted a collective 2.53 ERA during their first 10 games. Both of these figures are currently the third-lowest tallies among all Major League Baseball teams.
Mets hitters, however, have also mostly taken care of business. New York’s 4.9 runs scored per game and .723 OPS both rank ninth-best in the league. Catcher Francisco Alvarez and first baseman/designated hitter Mark Vientos are surprisingly leading the team in OPS. Nevertheless, superstars Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette are both enduring slow starts to the season.
Two of the three highest-paid Mets players have combined to hit just .171 (14 for 82) so far in the campaign. Fans in New York are clearly very aware of the situation. Bichette has already been booed by his own supporters during his recent struggles. While Mets management has to just be patient with the star duo, there may be a big call to make regarding a standout rookie.
Outfielder Carson Benge has also struggled to start 2026. The phenom is currently slashing just .100/.206/.200 in his first nine games. According to Fangraphs, Benge has an underwhelming ground ball rate (58%) and hard hit rate (42%) as well. Despite the slow start, SNY and Rising Apple both believe the Mets will give the rookie more time to adapt to big-league pitching.
New York Mets Manager Preaches Patience With Carson Benge
GettyCarson Benge is hitless in seven of his last eight Mets games.
SNY’s Danny Abriano claims that it is “far too early” to make any real opinions regarding Benge. After all, the young slugger has made just eight MLB starts and one appearance off the bench. Before New York’s weekend series against the San Francisco Giants, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza echoed this sentiment.
“[Benge’s] adjusting, learning,” Mendoza told SNY on April 2. “He’s learning as he goes, and that’s part of the development. He’s going to get some at-bats where there’s going to be traffic. Yesterday, I decided to go with the left-on-left instead of the left-on-right. It’s part of the process. We gotta continue to support him, be right there with him and give him opportunities.”
Along with giving Benge more at-bats, the Mets also do not exactly have very many good options to potentially replace the rookie. The most logical eventual solution for New York could be to deploy Brett Baty more in right field. The versatile slugger has played multiple positions so far this season, including two appearances in right field. Tyrone Taylor could become an option as well, yet the veteran is also struggling at the plate.
New York Dealing With Multiple Injured Outfielders
Injuries are also complicating the situation. Baty recently missed the final game in San Francisco due to a thumb injury. Mendoza, however, does not believe that the issue is very serious and expects Baty to be ready in the near future. Fellow outfielder Juan Soto has also been out in recent games because of a calf strain. It remains to be seen how much more time the superstar will remain out of action.
The injuries and lack of replacements should buy Benge more time with the Mets. New York clearly believes in the youngster and wants him to succeed. Nevertheless, the club will have to make a difficult decision if he continues to struggle. This particular timeframe is, however, at least a few weeks away.
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