Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Tommy John surgery robbed Benge of his freshman year at Oklahoma State in 2022, but he broke out nicely as a hitter a year later with a .345 average and 1.006 OPS while making 10 starts on the mound, earning a spot as a semifinalist for the John Olerud Award. He was a full-blown finalist for the two-way honor as a junior in 2024, hitting .335/.444/665 with 18 homers while striking out 44 in 37 innings and only lost out to fellow first-rounder Jac Caglianone. The Mets preferred Benge as a hitter, taking him 19th overall in July, and got him 15 solid games in the Florida State League before the summer was out.

Starting from an open stance that helped him see the ball well, Benge had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in his Draft class and was able to make contact at a decent clip against virtually every pitch type. His exit velocities were promising as well, and he was able to get that power to play to the opposite field. That’s another way of saying that, he didn’t pull and lift the ball quite as much as desired, a trait that carried into the early look in pro ball. Turning on the ball in that way will be the key to making Benge a 20-homer threat in the Majors, and he's gotten better at elevating as he's climbed the Mets' ladder up to Double-A.

Benge can get moving underway, and there’s enough speed in the tank to help him play center, though he'd be above-average if he has to make a full-time move to the corners. His plus arm strength, which helped him throw 96 mph off the bump in college, will be an asset anywhere on the grass. Getting Benge to focus exclusively as a position player has been huge for his overall skillset in the pros during a breakout 2025 season.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Benge was set to begin his freshman season at Oklahoma State when his elbow gave out in February 2022, leading to Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire year. The Cowboys turned him loose as a hitter and handled him more carefully as a pitcher last year, when he was a semifinalist for the John Olerud Award for college baseball's best two-way player. He's a legitimate prospect both ways, but the Mets preferred him as a hitter when they selected him with the 19th overall pick in July. Benge signed for $3,997,500.

Few college hitters in his class could match Benge's combination of bat-to-ball skills and high exit velocities. A left-handed hitter, he controls the strike zone and uses the opposite field exceptionally well. He should have solid power thanks to his combination of hitting ability and bat speed, and he did a better job of turning on and lifting more pitches as this spring progressed.

Benge has average speed and is quicker once he gets going. He's a solid defender with plus arm strength in right field, and he perhaps could fill in as a center fielder on occasion. He was intriguing as a quick-armed right-hander with a fastball that reaches 96 mph, a solid slider and the makings of an average changeup and control, but he prefers hitting and focused more on that this spring, a decision that helped make him a first-round pick.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Benge was set to begin his freshman season at Oklahoma State when his elbow gave out in February 2022, leading to Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire year. The Cowboys turned him loose as a hitter and handled him more carefully as a pitcher last year, when he was a semifinalist for the John Olerud Award for college baseball's best two-way player. He's a legitimate prospect both ways, showing first-round potential at the plate and third-round upside on the mound. 

Few college hitters in this class can match Benge's combination of bat-to-ball skills and high exit velocities. A left-handed hitter, he controls the strike zone and uses the opposite field exceptionally well. He should have solid power thanks to his combination of hitting ability and bat speed, and he did a better job of turning on and lifting more pitches as this spring progressed.

Benge has average speed and is quicker once he gets going. He's a solid defender with plus arm strength in right field, and he perhaps could fill in as a center fielder on occasion. He's intriguing as a quick-armed right-hander with a fastball that reaches 96 mph, a solid slider and the makings of an average changeup and control, but he prefers hitting and has focused more on that this spring.

Awards

Baseball America High Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2025

SAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

EAS Player of the Month

Month	Team
07/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/27/2025	Syracuse Mets activated OF Carson Benge from the 7-day injured list.
	08/16/2025	Syracuse Mets placed OF Carson Benge on the 7-day injured list.
	08/11/2025	OF Carson Benge assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
	07/18/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies activated OF Carson Benge.
	07/11/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed OF Carson Benge on the temporarily inactive list.
	07/11/2025	National League Futures activated OF Carson Benge.
	06/23/2025	OF Carson Benge assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.
	06/23/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies activated OF Carson Benge.
	04/01/2025	OF Carson Benge assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones.
	03/07/2025	RF Carson Benge assigned to New York Mets.
	03/06/2025	activated OF Carson Benge.
	08/15/2024	OF Carson Benge assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
	08/05/2024	OF Carson Benge assigned to FCL Mets.
	07/24/2024	New York Mets signed OF Carson Benge.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated OF Carson Benge.
	06/06/2024	OF Carson Benge assigned to College Workout.
	02/13/2024	OF Carson Benge assigned to Oklahoma State Cowboys.
	06/08/2023	OF Carson Benge assigned to College Workout.
	02/14/2023	OF Carson Benge assigned to Oklahoma State Cowboys.
	02/20/2022	3B Carson Benge and assigned to Oklahoma State Cowboys.