Mets prospect Carson Benge shows maturity beyond his years

The Double-A number is the one I keep coming back to. A .317/.407/.571 slash line with a 184 wRC+ in 32 games against competition that regularly features pitchers on the 40-man fringe. That’s not luck. That’s a hitter who understands his swing.

What Makes Benge Different From Your Average Top Prospect

Let me be real with you: that 53 wRC+ over 24 Triple-A games looks bad in isolation. But think about the context. Benge was 22 years old when he got there. He’d been promoted through three levels in his first professional season. He was placed on the injured list during that stint. And despite all of it, the Mets made 17 of his 24 defensive starts at Triple-A in center field — a position reserved for their best athletes. They weren’t treating him like a guy who was struggling. They were treating him like a guy they were developing.

The data doesn’t alarm me. The trajectory does the opposite. Benge hit .281/.385/.472 across 116 minor league games last season. He stole 22 bases. He won Mets Minor League Player of the Year. There’s a straight line from who he is right now to a legitimate MLB regular. I’m convinced the Triple-A sample was noise — and the front office clearly agrees.

The Mindset Is Half the Battle at This Level

The baseball part is one thing. The mental side is where prospects break down. That’s why this quote from Mets insider John Harper stopped me cold. When asked about making the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training, Benge said he wouldn’t be disappointed if he didn’t make the cut — because that would mean he didn’t earn it, and that fire would only push him harder toward the big leagues. That’s not coachable. You either have that frame or you don’t.

The ability to internalize setback as fuel rather than failure is what separates the 19th-overall picks who develop into stars from the ones who flame out by 25. Benge, at 23, already understands the assignment. The front office clearly sees it too — the Mets laud his leadership skills internally, which isn’t language you hear about prospects who are soft or mentally fragile.

What Happens If He Doesn’t Win the Job Right Now?

Here’s the strategic reality the Mets front office has to navigate. Even if Benge gets optioned after Spring Training, he will be in the big leagues before July 4th. The roster simply doesn’t have a long-term answer in right field outside of him. And with Soto locked into left and Robert in center, there’s no reason to move those pieces. Benge is the heir apparent. Period.

Mark it down: Carson Benge will be a fixture in the Mets’ outfield by mid-2026. The only question is whether he wins a job out of camp or has another stint at Syracuse. The tools are real. The mindset is elite. And the Mets already know it — they named him Minor League Player of the Year and kept starting him in center at the highest level of the minors even when the results weren’t there yet. That’s an organization betting on a player. Now Spring Training gets to settle the argument for good.