MACK - Top 28 Prospects - #3 - RF/CF - Carson Benge

 

The excitement about the Mets' prospect pipeline has been building year over year as the team improves their domestic and international scouting.  Many of the Mets' picks are being discussed throughout baseball, so Mack has boiled it down to the top 28 to give the readers a glimpse into the team's future.  This series will run for 28 days, counting down from #28 to #1.  The entire list can be viewed by clicking "2026 Top 28 Prospects" on the top menu bar.

3.     Carson Benge

RF/CF/P    6-1    185    LHH    23/yrs. old in January

1st round (1.19) 2024 – Oklahoma State

2025 – A+/AA/AAA – 519-PA, 92-K, 68-BB, 15-HR, 73-RBI, .281, .857-OPS

GROK -

Carson Grant Benge is a highly touted outfield prospect in the New York Mets organization.

Originally a two-way player in college (outfield and pitching), Benge signed a $4 million bonus with the Mets on July 23, 2024, and committed to focusing solely on outfield duties.

Oklahoma State -   Benge starred for the Cowboys, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2024 after slashing .335/.444/.665 with 24 doubles, seven home runs, 43 RBIs, and more walks (42) than strikeouts (32) in 304 plate appearances. His on-base skills and power potential stood out.

2024-2025 -   Benge quickly adapted to pro ball, debuting with Single-A St. Lucie (.273/.420/.436 over 15 games, two HRs).

He represented the Mets in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game alongside pitcher Jonah Tong.

Mets president David Stearns has confirmed Benge will compete for the Opening Day center field job in 2026 Spring Training, potentially solving a long-term need after short-term fixes like Harrison Bader and Jose Siri.

While his defense (71 starts in CF since high school) draws some caution, his elite bat (.281 AVG, 15 HRs in 2025 minors) and speed (22 SBs) make him a strong in-house option. Analysts project an MLB ETA of 2026, with potential to contribute immediately if he refines his glove work.

 

11-7-2025 - Just Baseball

2. Carson Benge – OF – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 185 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 1st Round (19), 2024 (NYM) | ETA: 2026

HIT     PLATE DISC.     GAME POWER     RUN  FIELD        FV

50/55     50/55                  45/55          55/55  45/55                55+

Much like his OSU teammate Nolan McLean, Benge was a legitimate two-way talent for the Cowboys. After a big freshman season, Benge tapped into much more power in his draft-eligible sophomore year, making it clear his future was in the batter’s box and there might be room for even more impact.

Hitting

A noisy operation in the box, Benge starts with an open stance and rocks into his back side with a big leg kick and barrel tip. He starts it all very early with impressive lower half control and balance that likely spills over from his experience on the mound.

After struggling to elevate in 2023, Benge slashed his ground ball rate by more than 10%, more than doubling his home run total to 18 while increasing his slug by 130 points. Upon shifting his focus to the batters box, Benge has tapped into much more raw power, posting above average exit velocities in High-A.

Benge could still benefit from getting the ball in the air more frequently and his moves may be difficult to time up against upper-level pitching. He has great hand-eye with impressive swing variance to get to pitches in tough spots.

A patient hitter, Benge has continued to draw walks at a high clip as a pro and can be difficult to put away. With the added raw power, Benge’s ceiling has been pushed a bit higher, with 25+ home runs not completely out of the realm of possibility, but at least the chance to hit at least 20 with plenty of doubles.

Defense/Speed

He predominantly played right field in his collegiate career, but he looks like he can play up the middle. Though he’s closer to an average straight-line runner, Benge’s athleticism paired with the great reads he gets and efficient routes give him a good shot of becoming an average center fielder. If he moves off of the middle, he would grade as an easy plus defender in a corner where his plus arm would play well.

Outlook

Benge is a unique athlete who may just be scraping the surface of the player he can ultimately be. Early returns in 2025 have Benge on an upward trajectory as he has clearly added impact and made a seamless transition to High-A Brooklyn where some hitters can get frustrated by the ball flight.

He has a wiry build and could probably add some more strength without losing speed and It’s not uncommon for two-way players to add mass upon shifting their focus from the mound.

Added strength could also facilitate a simpler operation in the box. Benge has the potential to be an everyday center fielder with average or better tools across the board.

 

11-12-25 

RVH/MM

Carson Benge, a 2024 first-round pick, was named as a real candidate to make the big-league roster out of spring training.

 

MetCast                       @MetCastPod

I’ve been saying this for months — multiple people inside the Mets organization have told me that Carson Benge is the apple of their eye and was considered “untouchable” at this year’s trade deadline. I also reported that he could be competing for a roster spot as early as this spring training.

MACK – If this was true, it will change everything immediately about the immediate future of the Mets outfield. Your starters out of cam could be Benge, Brandon Nimmo, and Juan Soto, moving Tyrone Taylor to a late inning defensive move in right

 

11-13-2025

Tom Brennan/MM

3. OF Carson Benge

Benge, the Mets’ 2024 first rounder, was incredible in High A and AA in his first full season.  He struggled in his late call up in AAA, but finished 8 for 25.  He feels to me like a May/June 2026 call up to the big leagues. 

Of course, if the Mets go for a short rebuild in 2026 instead, Benge could be a Mets opening day outfielder.

Hits very well, good power, a solidly muted strikeout rate, good speed, and a truly great arm.  What’s not to like?  Future MLB All Star?  I think so.

 

11-21-2025

TJStats –

#12 - Carson Benge solidified himself as one of the most complete prospects in baseball with an excellent pro debut season where he posted a .857 OPS across 116 games. His profile is balanced with above average tools across the board while manning the outfield. A solid 20.1% Whiff rate paired with a strong 21.9% O-Swing rate helped him maintain a 17.7% strikeout rate while walking at an elite rate. His underlying power metrics indicate he has above-average to plus raw strength, however his flatter bat path and pray tendencies may limit his slugging potential. His above average speed, good route running, and cannon of an arm greatly helps his outlook as a CF. Benge is one of the safer bets to be a MLB regular and looks poised to join the Mets early in the 2026 season.

 

11-24-2025

Angry Mike/MM

Benge was the Mets 1st round pick of the 2024 draft, selected 19th overall, and was a legit 2-way player at Oklahoma State, but committed to being a position player after being drafted. The primary concern with Benge going into the draft was whether or not he’d be able to translate his considerable raw power into game power, but several pre-draft scouting reports noted a couple minor adjustments to his should allow him to tap into his power potential. 

Some analysts reported Benge as a top 15 talent heading into the draft, which is why the Mets were thrilled to see him fall to pick #19. Mets now have the true center fielder they have been searching for, a legit 5-tool talent, with one of the strongest arms in the system, he’s a plus athlete, logging reps at both CF & RF at every minor league level. Started 2025 at Brooklyn and quickly forced a promotion to Double-A Binghamton, pairing with Jett Williams, Nick Morabito, Ryan Clifford, and Jacob Reimer to create one of the most potent offenses in the minor leagues.

Carson Benge is an explosive game-changer, with the qualities teams drool over. He’s one of the more exciting players we’ve ever drafted, and I look forward to seeing him establish himself as our “center fielder of the future”, next season…

 

11-28-2025

RVH/MM

Carson Benge — Rotational Athlete with MLB Traits

Cause: Strong lower-half mechanics and real bat speed, but inconsistent advanced off-speed recognition.

Effect: Tools outpace game-readiness — MLB-caliber flashes mixed with pitch-processing inconsistencies.

Corrective Lever: Improve offspeed recognition and inside-out plane stability to unlock 20–25 HR potential.

Takeaway: Master the offspeed.

 

11-28-2025

Baseball America            @BaseballAmerica

Carson Benge's 150 wRC+ ranked 19th in the minors among batters with 400+ plate appearances.

Could he hit his way into the Mets' outfield mix early in 2026?

New scouting report:

https://t.co/OiStYYpxog             https://t.co/m8HhnhEiMv

 

12-5-2025

Angry Mike/MM

CARSON BENGE -> Stearns set the bar high announcing he has a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Which will make him the most closely watched player this Spring.

-> Even if he starts in AAA, how long until we seem him in Queens? Is he going to get play everyday after he arrives or will they deploy a similar rotation with batters we saw in 2025?

 

12-9-2025

Steve Sica/MM

2024: OF Carson Benge (19th Overall Selection)

What more is there left to say about Carson Benge? After the season he had in 2025, he’s proven time and time again why the Mets made him their first round selection in 2024. The Oklahoma State University product tore apart High-A and Double-A pitching all season long. At just 22 years old, his OPS sat at .978 in Double-A, a league that has humbled many players in the past.

Benge is ranked as one of the Mets best prospects going into 2026, and often seen as one of the best outfield prospects in the sport. He made the Futures Game roster in 2025, and is projected to join the big club as early as the summer of 2026. Benge is one of the most exciting prospects in their system, and for a team that’s struck out on a lot of first round draft picks in the past, Benge looks to buck that trend.

 

12-20-2025

Reese/MM

In the case of Benge, he’s demonstrated he has good defensive skills though not exceptional while delivering solid numbers at the plate an on the base paths after transitioning from pitching.  In AAA he combined between Brooklyn, Binghamton and Syracuse to hit .281 with 15 HRs, 73 RBIs and 22 SBs.  Many consider him a corner outfielder but the Mets have vacancies both in left and in center so it’s still unclear where the left handed hitter would start when he makes his Citifield debut.

Given his brief introduction to the minor league level with just 24 games and 90 ABs in AAA  it might be a little premature to pencil him into the the starting lineup.  Everyone is hoping he will continue his evolution as a multi tool offensive threat but for now it’s probably premature to pencil him into coming north with the big club.

 

11-14-2025

Hagen Snell        @HagenSnellBB

Seems inevitable that Carson Benge is on the Mets Opening Day roster or called up within 2 weeks. If so he’ll be PPI eligible & would net the Mets a draft pick if he wins the ROY award. Doing so would double the Mets odds with Nolan McLean eligible as well

 

1-4-2026

MLB.com

“When you have good players at the upper levels of the Minor Leagues,” Stearns said in November, “we have to find space for those players to play. Carson Benge is among them. He’s not the only one, but he’s among them. So as we build out our team, we have to ensure that, as we move forward, there is room for our young players to get to the Major Leagues when they deserve to get there -- and have a chance to really contribute to our Major League team.” – David Stearns

 

1-4-2026

MLB.com

OF Carson Benge (NYM No. 2 prospect, No. 21 overall)

From the beginning of this offseason, the Mets made it clear they wanted to leave space for Benge to contribute. Coming off a standout season that saw him dominate Double-A Binghamton as he climbed multiple levels in the farm system, Benge will compete for a job on the Opening Day roster. He may not win one. But even if that happens, Benge should get every opportunity to contribute to the Major League team at some point. So long as he continues producing at the plate, the 2024 first-round Draft pick is likely to run with it. -- Anthony DiComo

 

1-4-2026

SleeperMets                     @SleeperMets

Carson Benge- CF

Age: 22

Hit: 60 -Above Average

Power: 50 -Average

Run: 55 -Average

Arm: 60 -Above average

Field: 55 -Average

Overall: 55- Everyday MLB player, average production

 

1-4-2026

Eric Cross         @EricCrossMLB

Prospects in Triple-A (Min 100 PA) with a 75+% contact and 50+% Hard-Hit rate in 2025.

Chase DeLauter (CLE) 81.1% Contact/51.9% HH

Carson Benge (NYM) 79.9%/53.5%

Jacob Melton (TBR) 79.3%/57.9%

Abimelec Ortiz (TEX) 77.5%/53.8%

Ryan Ward  (LAD) 78.4%/50.2%

 

1-7-2026

Reese Kaplan/MM

There’s not much else going on in the outfield.  Some are advocating rushing Carson Benge to the majors to play one of the vacant outfield positions, but he’s only had 90 AAA at bats.  His overall numbers working his way up as an offensive player are impressive.  His minor league career batting average is .280 with 17 HRs, 81 RBIs and 25 SBs.  Right now the Mets are tipping a bit on the left side where it comes to offense and Benge is another hitter who is a lefty.  While it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Benge advance mid year or even as late as September, he likely needs more time to face minor league pitching and to play a single outfield position to demonstrate defensive mastery of it.

1-16-2025

MetsMuse         @MetsMuse

UPDATE: Per Steve Gelbs, the Mets are giving Carson Benge a very serious opportunity to make the major league roster out of camp.

Many have Benge in their projected 2026 lineup for the Mets.