New York Mets top prospect Carson Benge will start on Opening Day

Jon Hoefling, USA TODAYTue, March 24, 2026 at 12:20 AM UTC

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New York Mets prospect Carson Benge, 23, has made quite the impression this spring. Despite amounting a .583 OPS in just 24 games in Triple-A a season ago, the 2024 draftee has turned his fortune around quickly, earning a spot on the Mets' 2026 Opening Day roster, per Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

Benge enters the 2026 season as the Mets' No. 2 prospect (No. 16 overall) and the No. 5 overall outfield prospect, per MLB.com. And those numbers reflect just how dominant Benge has been this spring.

Benge slashed .366/.435/.874 across 41 at-bats this spring, including five runs and five RBI. Those numbers also do not include the games he played against international teams as they prepared for the World Baseball Classic. Benge hit his only home run of the spring in a game against Israel on March 4.

1 / 0MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and FloridaFeb. 13: New York YankeesHow did Benge earn the starting nod?

While Benge's spring success certainly played a large role, Mike Tauchmann, Benge's biggest competitor for the starting right field spot, also tore his meniscus over the weekend. Pair that with the fact that MJ Melendez was optioned to Triple-A last week, and the path had been paved.

Despite that, it was clear from the beginning of spring that Benge would have the opportunity to play his way into an Opening Day roster spot. He did exactly that. Manager Carlos Mendoza said, "He earned it. He had a hell of a camp. We are all excited to watch this kid play."

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Benge minor league stats

While 2025 was Benge's first full professional season, he did spend some of 2024 with Single-A affiliate St. Lucie.

In total, Benge has amassed 131 minor league games, recording a .280/.389/.468 triple-slash in that span with 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases.

When do the Mets open the season?

The Mets will open the season on Thursday, March 26 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes, that means Benge's first major-league action will be against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mets prospect Benge to start on Opening Day after hot spring

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