Getty
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The New York Mets face a key decision with Opening Day just days away: whether to include 2024 first-round pick Carson Benge on the roster.
Benge’s strong performance this spring training is making that choice a tough one. The 23-year-old has been on fire, making a compelling case for an Opening Day spot with New York.
Through March 22, Benge has 41 at-bats, hitting .366 with five RBIs, five runs, a .435 on-base percentage, and an .874 OPS, according to MLB.com.
As a result, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza will need to decide whether the young player has done enough to help the team in the early part of the 2026 season. Still, the team’s decision has yet to be revealed, and Benge said he doesn’t know which way the Mets are leaning.
“Nothing,” Benge told reporters on March 22 about whether he’s making the Opening Day roster (h/t SNY). “Still waiting. It’s okay, though. I have no clue. I still have no clue. I’ll just be patient, you know. Waited this long, I can wait a little longer.”
Moreover, Benge is content with what he’s been able to show the team as the Mets prospect looks to start making an impact at the major league level.
“I’m happy that I carried myself in a really good way, and I showed everyone what kind of person I am, and I feel like that’s what spoke the loudest for me,” Benge added (h/t SNY).
Mets’ Carlos Mendoza Talks Carson Benge Decision
On March 22, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke with reporters and shared whether he had an update on Benge’s status with the major league team ahead of their Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“We haven’t made any decision yet,” Mendoza said (h/t SNY). “I know you guys got to ask, but we still have to go through [March 22]. We still have to get through [March 23]. Then obviously we have to make decisions. But yeah, we’ve got to get through the next couple of days here.”
Kodai Senga Gets Encouraging Message Before Opening Day
Another player who had an amazing spring training is Kodai Senga, and if the Mets want to return to the postseason in 2026, they’ll need a bounce-back season from the veteran.
Senga has made three appearances on the mound for the Mets in spring training, going 9 2/3 innings while posting a 1.86 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP, and striking out 11 batters, per MLB.com.
The veteran right-hander is coming off a challenging 2025 season in which the injury bug derailed what was a solid start to the campaign. Senga posted a 7-6 record with an ERA of 3.02 and 109 strikeouts in 22 appearances in 2025, per StatMuse.
Nonetheless, Mets star Juan Soto is backing Senga and giving the veteran a confidence boost as the pitcher looks to stay healthy in 2026 and be one of the reasons why New York finds itself back in the postseason later this fall.
“That’s our ace,” Soto told reporters on March 19 (h/t SNY). “If he stays healthy, he’s going to help the team go all the way. He has the stuff to do it. He’s got to try to keep himself in the game.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
More Heavy on Mets
Loading more stories