Reese Kaplan -- More Thoughts on the Right Field Situation

A great many folks (Mack among them) feel that the Mets should open the season with Carson Benge on the roster and available to play right field alongside Luis Robert, Jr.  It’s been quite awhile since the Mets advocated pushing prospects to the majors early in the season though last year in September they did promote quite a few. Sometimes that works like Nolan McLean.  Sometimes it doesn’t like Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong.

The fear many of us have is that the Mets will go north with Juan Soto, Luis Robert, Jr,, Tyrone Taylor and some combination of Tauchman Melendez and Young. That set of outfield choices looks pretty pathetic.  Obviously the offensive potential of untested outfielder Baty or rookie prospect Benge fAs a lifetime Mets fan I’m long accustomed to less well constructed teams taking early year chances on rookie ballplayers.  When you’re destined to finish in the lower half of the standings it makes a degree of sense that taking a fast track with prospects was a superior approach to handing full time jobs to borderline players or AAAA types who never established long term success in the majors.

As I mentioned on Monday in the black hole in right field piece that the club is indeed looking at the latter types with Mike Tauchman, MJ Melendez and Jared Young. None of these players are more than 4th outfielder types like Tyrone Taylor.  None should be starting on a regular basis for a club with aspirations for October baseball.

The other big variable is the young veteran Brett Baty who has been tested all around the field.  If he’s going to become the latter day version of Jeff McNeil valued more for his versatility than his offensive production.  Baty has more power than McNeil but he’s still not a fully established regular despite his hot latter 2025 results.

Some advocated creating some type of platoon between Baty and Benge in right field, but since both hit from the left side that arrangement doesn’t make traditional sense.  It could be a tentative Plan B approach if Benge hit a wall against a steady diet of major league pitchers, but there is no lefty/righty opportunity to select which hitter would fare better against the left handed pitching.

Now Benge has been pretty productive in Spring Training despite struggling in AAA in 2025.  Some suggest he should return three to demonstrate his dominance against the near best level of pitching before taking the next step to the majors.  This approach makes some sense, too, but it likely makes never before outfielder Baty into the starter in right field.  If Baty indeed hits well in 2026 then he could enter into the 1B or DH roles when they are ready to promote Benge. 

The fear many of us have is that the Mets will go north with Juan Soto, Luis Robert, Jr,, Tyrone Taylor and some combination of Tauchman Melendez and Young. That set of outfield choices looks pretty pathetic.  Obviously the offensive potential of untested outfielder Baty or rookie prospect Benge far exceed any of the bottom four roster choices.

Furthermore, it would create a much stronger interest level for the fans to see how Baty fares in a new position never before played in the majors or how rookie Benge adjusts to the highest level of pitching in the game while providing solid defense in right field. A great many folks (Mack among them) feel that the Mets should open the season with Carson Benge on the roster and available to play right field alongside Luis Robert, Jr.  

It’s been quite awhile since the Mets advocated pushing prospects to the majors early in the season though last year in September they did promote quite a few. Sometimes that works like Nolan McLean.  Sometimes it doesn’t like Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong.

As a lifetime Mets fan I’m long accustomed to less well constructed teams taking early year chances on rookie ballplayers.  When you’re destined to finish in the lower half of the standings it makes a degree of sense that taking a fast track with prospects was a superior approach to handing full time jobs to borderline players or AAAA types who never established long term success in the majors.

Some advocated creating some type of platoon between Baty and Benge in right field, but since both hit from the left side that arrangement doesn’t make traditional sense.  It could be a tentative Plan B approach if Benge hit a wall against a steady diet of major league pitchers, but there is no lefty/righty opportunity to select which hitter would fare better against the left handed pitching.

Now Benge has been pretty productive in Spring Training despite struggling in AAA in 2025.  Some suggest he should return three to demonstrate his dominance against the near best level of pitching before taking the next step to the majors.  This approach makes some sense, too, but it likely makes never before outfielder Baty into the starter in right field.  If Baty indeed hits well in 2026 then he could enter into the 1B or DH roles when they are ready to promote Benge. 

The fear many of us have is that the Mets will go north with Juan Soto, Luis Robert, Jr,, Tyrone Taylor and some combination of Tauchman Melendez and Young. That set of outfield choices looks pretty pathetic.  Obviously the offensive potential of untested outfielder Baty or rookie prospect Benge far exceed any of the bottom four roster choices.

Furthermore, it would create a much stronger interest level for the fans to see how Baty fares in a new position never before played in the majors or how rookie Benge adjusts to the highest level of pitching in the game while providing solid defense in right field. 

As a lifetime Mets fan I’m long accustomed to less well constructed teams taking early year chances on rookie ballplayers.  When you’re destined to finish in the lower half of the standings it makes a degree of sense that taking a fast track with prospects was a superior approach to handing full time jobs to borderline players or AAAA types who never established long term success in the majors.

As I mentioned on Monday in the black hole in right field piece that the club is indeed looking at the latter types with Mike Tauchman, MJ Melendez and Jared Young. None of these players are more than 4th outfielder types like Tyrone Taylor.  None should be starting on a regular basis for a club with aspirations for October baseball.

The other big variable is the young veteran Brett Baty who has been tested all around the field.  If he’s going to become the latter day version of Jeff McNeil valued more for his versatility than his offensive production.  Baty has more power than McNeil but he’s still not a fully established regular despite his hot latter 2025 results.

Some advocated creating some type of platoon between Baty and Benge in right field, but since both hit from the left side that arrangement doesn’t make traditional sense.  It could be a tentative Plan B approach if Benge hit a wall against a steady diet of major league pitchers, but there is no lefty/righty opportunity to select which hitter would fare better against the left handed pitching.

Now Benge has been pretty productive in Spring Training despite struggling in AAA in 2025.  Some suggest he should return three to demonstrate his dominance against the near best level of pitching before taking the next step to the majors.  This approach makes some sense, too, but it likely makes never before outfielder Baty into the starter in right field.  If Baty indeed hits well in 2026 then he could enter into the 1B or DH roles when they are ready to promote Benge. 

Furthermore, it would create a much stronger interest level for the fans to see how Baty fares in a new position never before played in the majors or how rookie Benge adjusts to the highest level of pitching in the game while providing solid defense in right field.