New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed Monday that prospect Carson Benge will join the Opening Day roster. His major league debut will come against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field in Queens on March 26.
“It’s a moment that he’ll never forget, and as a manager, after delivering some tough news the past few days, it’s a big day for the organization,” Mendoza said.
The announcement was made after outfielder Mike Tauchman tore his meniscus during the Mets’ spring training finale. With him out of action, Benge was selected to fill the void. He will join Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr. and Tyrone Taylor in the outfield.
Blossoming Spring
President of Baseball Operations David Stearns made it known before spring training that Carson Benge could make the roster. Nobody knew, however, how Benge would perform.
Until he exceeded all expectations on the diamond. In 41 at-bats, he owned a .366 average with an .874 OPS. He also hit five RBI and swiped a base. These numbers prove Benge was ready for the major leagues following a productive minor league career.
Across 116 appearances with three of the Mets’ minor league affiliates, he hit 15 home runs and 73 RBI with 15 stolen bases. He had a .281 batting average and a .857 OPS.
“Kid who gets drafted in 2024 and two years later, here we are giving him the news that he’s going to be playing in the big leagues for us. He earned it. Had hell of a camp, and were excited to watch this kid play,” Mendoza added.
Looking Ahead
Carson Benge probably won’t have it easy in his first career game against Paul Skenes. Benge will likely bat towards the end of the order, meaning he could face the reigning NL CY Young award winner at least twice. How he will perform is a question that will be answered in three days, with the game scheduled to start at 1:15 Eastern Thursday.
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