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2 NY Mets prospects who’ll crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list midyear, 1 who’ll be just shy

The Mets had two top prospects appear on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list. These two Mets prospects could join that list by midseason, but this one will fall just short.

ByNoah Wright|
Mar 15, 2024; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean participates in the Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Mar 15, 2024; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean participates in the Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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MLB Pipeline recently released their newest top 100 prospect list. The New York Mets currently have two prospects who are part of the top 100. That includes right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat, who ranks number 46, and infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, who comes in at number 58. MLB Pipeline regularly makes small updates when prospects graduate but typically make large-scale updates midseason. The Mets certainly have some other notable prospects beyond just Sproat and Williams, so let’s look at two who could make their list in the near future and one who may just miss out.

Carson Benge will be a top 100 prospect this year

Carson Benge was named as a prospect who missed the list. The Mets drafted Benge in the first round of the 2024 draft out of Oklahoma State. In his final college season, Benge batted .335/.444/.665 with 18 dingers in just 304 plate appearances. Benge walked 16.1% of his plate appearances and struck out at a nearly identical 16.8% rate.

Benge also pitched, totalling 37 innings during 2024. He was quite effective, too, working to a 3.16 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 4.00 K:BB ratio. Benge struck out 28.2% of the batters he faced with a quality 7.1% walk rate. He was also not very home run-prone, with a 0.97 HR/9 ratio. Benge worked both in relief and as a starter, making four starts across 18 total appearances.

Benge then appeared in 15 games for A-Ball St. Lucie, where he made a great first impression. It was only 69 plate appearances, but Benge batted .273/.420/.436 with a .416 wOBA and 152 wRC+. He only struck out 20.3% of the time with a 17.2% whiff rate and drew a walk in 15.9% of his trips to the dish. He also displayed some raw power with an 88.4 MPH exit velo, and going yard twice.

Benge projects as a very well-rounded player. Both his hit and power tools project as above average. He may not be a burner, but Benge is an average runner. When Benge wasn’t on the mound, he was in right field, but he has the potential to be an average defensive center fielder. His arm will obviously play anywhere. He was firing upper-90s fastballs in college. 

Even if the Mets and Benge drop his two-way prowess, he has a ton of potential, and there’s a good reason why MLB Pipeline listed him as a guy who just missed. Once he plays a full season and gets an extended look, Benge should start appearing on more top 100 lists, not just MLB Pipeline’s.

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