Reese Kaplan -- Right Field Continues to Be a Mets Black Hole

While the Mets are actively engaged in the concurrent Spring Training of 2026 while a large passel of players are off on their WBC exhibition games, it gives ample opportunities to those folks remaining in camp to get more innings of playing time in front of David Stearns, Carlos Mendoza and the rest of the team evaluation personnel.  This situation makes for some wild projections of capabilities that have never before been shown in the major leagues while simultaneously asking people to absorb holes in the batting order.  None of it is more clear than in the ongoing battle for right field.

If you take the preseason narrative to heart then Carson Benge is truly being given the chance in Port St. Lucie to play himself onto the Opening Day roster and to become the starting right fielder.  Thus far he’s certainly looked the part both as a solid defensive player and as an offensive threat despite not having done so even as high as the AAA level.  It’s not unknown for players to make the jump from AA dominance to major league opportunity though often it is for matters of roster deficit or injury rather than pure need.  Given the Benge conversion from two-way player to strictly an offensive one he has had rather limited exposure as a hitter with fewer than 500 professional ABs over his two years in the minors.  Some feel he could benefit at least from the first month or two in Syracuse until the weather warmed up and he demonstrated his ability to dominate against the highest minor league pitching before transitioning to the majors.

Therein, of course, lies the problem.  If not Benge then who gets right field?  The next up on most people’s agendas would likely be newly minted outfielder Brett Baty.  Many folks are totally sold on his second half offensive output from 2025 and fully expect he will replicate or even exceed that level of productivity in 2026 and in the future.  Right now as a man without a position he would be guaranteed regular ABs if he was handed the right field responsibilities on a daily basis while Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette deliver on the infield.  Of course, the problem with this approach can best be spelled MARK VIENTOS whose 2024 was even more dominant offensively than Baty was in 2025 but wasn’t able to deliver at that level the following year.  That same doubt is there about Baty as well.

It gets worse.  To read many scribes praise the veteran Mike Tauchman as a viable name to pencil in for the right field duties but going into his age 35 season his defensive skills are at best adequate but not dominant.  He’s never even had 340 ABs in a single season during his entire 8 year major league career.  The statistics nerds at BaseballReference.com project a 162 game output from Tauchman to provide 12 HRs, 56 RBIs and a .246 batting average.  For a frame of reference, Tyrone Taylor projects to provide 14 HRs, 56 RBIs while batting .238 and everyone agrees he is a viable but at best 4th outfielder.  What am I missing here about Tauchman somehow for the first time in his entire career being considered viable for a starting assignment?

Then there is younger and potentially more productive MJ Melendez.  The now former Royal has shown some flashes of the power and defense that made him a highly regarded prospect who never really put it together in his major league level of play.  For his career the now turning 27 year old has delivered not much better.  In 162 games he averages 19 HRs and 61 RBIs which is a bit better but it’s accompanied by a mere .215 batting average.  Is that stellar defense worth that kind of risk or do you believe the Mets’ new offensive coaching development will somehow trigger the better side of Melendez which has never before truly been achieved?

Frankly Carson Benge does look like the best solution as her provides a solid batting average, baserunning speed and adequate power.  His numbers should continue to improve as he gets accustomed to the rigors of being a full time offensive player.  The question is whether he’s the best answer right now or if a temporary placeholder is needed for 6-8 weeks to allow him to develop with less pressure?  Personally I could live with the latter day version of Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, getting regular assignments in right field rather than turning the assignments over to Tauchman or Melendez, though I’m still open to seeing what kind of outfielders emerge as trade targets as the preseason progresses.  I know, I know...many will say that new Player X would block Carson Benge but do remember that the first base and DH positions remain unresolved, so there would be room for someone new, too.