TAMPA, Fla. — On an afternoon when the Mets sent only a fraction of their major league roster to Tampa for a meeting with the rival Yankees, attention could easily be directed more intently on Carson Benge.
The 23-year-old outfielder, the No. 16 prospect in Major League Baseball, saw his first action in the club’s uniform on Sunday afternoon. As Benge batted leadoff against the Yankees’ Luis Gil and occupied right field for the Mets’ second spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field, it was the first look at the club’s top position prospect who could soon occupy a major league role.
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Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen addresses the media at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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NY Mets spring training 2026 photos from Port St. Lucie, Florida
Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen addresses the media at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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NY Mets spring training 2026 photos from Port St. Lucie, Florida
Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen addresses the media at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets warm-up during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) during spring training at Clover park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets fans watch spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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Feb 16, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (center) speaks to infielder Marcus Semien (left) and third base coach Tim Leiper (right) during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets players take batting practice during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) pitches during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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“I was just trying to go out there and have some fun,” Benge said. “As far as the pitching, I’ve seen guys like that for most of this spring training leading into that, so I felt pretty comfy in there.”
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In his first big league action at any level, Benge finished 0-for-3 and grounded into a double play with two runners on base in the top of the fifth inning. He was not called into action in the outfield.
Carson Benge’s quirky matchup against Tim Hill
New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge steps up to take batting practice during spring training workouts on Feb. 18, 2026, at Clover Park.
Every at-bat can be a lesson for Benge as he makes the rounds in Grapefruit League play this spring.
One of the more unique challenges came during his third at-bat of the game against the Yankees’ Tim Hill, a right-hander with a sidearm delivery and one of the best groundball pitchers in baseball.
“It’s a tough at-bat, but just got to do what you can to be able to help your team any way,” Benge said.
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Benge fell down 0-2, took a borderline sinker, fouled off another but buried a high slider to Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero that jump-started the double play.
“That’s probably a situation where he comes up in a real game and just having the awareness of what the pitcher is trying to do to you,” Mendoza said. “I think there’s a lot to learn and for us as a coaching staff to teach the guy in certain situations, and that’s the perfect one.”
Those games with mixed results and the performances immediately after are what will draw Mendoza’s attention this spring.
“I’d like to see how he handles adversity. Every player is going to go through it,” Mendoza said. “I’m really looking forward to just being around him and see what makes him.”
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Where could Carson Benge fit with the Mets?
New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge (93) chases a fly ball during spring training workouts on Feb. 18, 2026, at Clover Park.
As Benge enters game action for the first time in big league camp, there are lofty expectations for what he can achieve.
A season ago in Double-A Binghamton, Benge slashed .317/.407/.571 with eight home runs, 23 RBI and 28 runs in 32 games. As a two-way pitcher in college for Oklahoma State, his arm stands out as one of his best assets in the field.
“I had a tough time finding anything he didn’t do well,” said Ryan Clifford, one of Benge’s teammates in Double and Triple A. “He was electric. He gets his swing off early and he’s able to play all three outfield positions. He’s got a really arm and something that third base coaches have to take notice on.”
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Benge could factor into the right field equation at the big league level early this season. Brett Baty will begin getting outfield reps later this spring while the Mets have brought in MJ Melendez and Mike Tauchman as potential players to field the position.
But Mendoza does not want the noise to get too loud for Benge throughout Grapefruit League play.
While Benge came up empty at the plate on Sunday, the better barometer will be how he bounces back against the Blue Jays on Monday.
“It’s always tough especially when there’s so much out there and it could be a lot of noise, good or bad, and it’s part of the process,” Mendoza said. “Whether you go out there and have a great camp or you go out there and it’s hard for you. The one thing that we told him too is control what you can control. Let us that are making the decisions make the decisions.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Carson Benge fared in his spring debut for the Mets vs. Yankees