Top NY Mets prospect is making a case to get the Carson Benge treatment

Desite a furious finish to the second half, the Syracuse Mets ultimately wound up missing out on the International League playoffs. Still, they concluded the campaign with a 29-11 record over their last 40 games, providing quite a bit of hope for the future while the big-league club trudges to the finish line.

One of those big sparks of hope came in the form of Jefferson Rojas, who blitzed Triple-A pitching after earning a last-second promotion to the level after Double-A Binghamton's season ended. He only got six games worth of experience (cumulating in 29 plate appearances), but the top prospect hit .308/.345/.692 (151 wRC+) with three home runs, seven RBIs, and a stolen base.

Some more reps are probably in order after he struck out in more than a quarter of his trips to the plate, but it's also possible that the Mets could let him learn on the fly and give him a job on the Opening Day roster next year.

Jefferson Rojas has made his case to be a part of the 2027 Mets Opening Day roster

Rojas' situation is eerily similar to that of Carson Benge's from a year ago, when the outfielder earned a late-season promotion to Triple-A. He didn't hit all that well (.178/.272/.311) in 24 games, but the fact that he rose from High-A to Triple-A in his first full professional season put him squarely on the big-league radar heading into 2026.

Benge, of course, would parlay that impressive season into an Opening Day roster spot with the big-league Mets. He's more than lived up to the hype in his rookie campaign, posting a 112 wRC+ and 3.7 fWAR while sitting on the precipice of a 20-20 season.

Expecting similar things from Rojas is setting ourselves up for disappointment, but it's hard not to dream big. He's the top prospect in the organization for a reason, with 27 homers, 21 steals, and an .843 OPS under his belt in his age-21 season. Given his strong defensive chops, it's not outrageous to suggest he could replace Bo Bichette at third base next year, assuming the incumbent opts out of his contract and leaves in free agency.

There are other extraneous considerations we must account for, like the impending lockout. Rojas is Rule 5 eligible this offseason, but if he's added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, he won't be eligible to play during next year's minor-league season while the big leagues are out of action. In a normal offseason, the Mets would obviously protect him, but it's possible (if not likely) that the Rule 5 draft is canceled this year.

Perhaps that leads to a situation where Rojas can make the Opening Day rosters in both Syracuse and New York, wherein he plays in Triple-A until the big leagues finally get going again. Or maybe the Mets won't take any chances and they'll give their top prospect his rightfully earned place on their 40-man roster.

Either way, it's clear that Rojas will join the 40-man at some point in the near future. Once that happens, the only thing that will be holding him back from the jump to MLB is whether the Mets think he's ready.

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