Carson Benge can help break a NY Mets streak they should try to avoid

There has been a considerable amount of chatter about what the New York Mets' plan to do with their outfield in 2026. Now that Juan Soto will be moving to left field in the wake of Brandon Nimmo's departure, his replacement in right field is unclear. One candidate is Carson Benge who is being given a shot at making the Opening Day roster.

For now, most of his value proposition lies in his bat. Across 519 minor league plate appearances last year, he posted a 150 wRC+ and the team's other main option on the depth chart, Tyrone Taylor, doesn't have the same hitting upside as Benge. However, another compelling storyline behind a potential Benge call-up is the chance to break a streak that has haunted the Mets for almost a decade.

Carson Benge could make right field defense an asset for the Mets instead of a liability

The last time the Mets accumulated more than 0 Defensive Runs Saved from the right field position was 2019. Juan Soto is great at many things but defense is not one of them. He was worth -7 DRS in 2025 and his -12 Outs Above Average was tied with Nick Castellanos for the worst in MLB.

Prior to Soto, Starling Marte was consistently below average in right field. He was slightly above average in 2022 but it was offset by the negative efforts of Tyler Naquin (-2 DRS), Travis Jankowski (-1 DRS), and Darin Ruf (-2) who needed just 30 innings to cancel out nearly all of Marte's progress at the position.

For Benge, scouts don't think he'll be the next Ichiro Suzuki by any means but the consensus on his abilities in the outfield is positive overall.

"Benge is an above-average runner, and while many expected his arm strength to push him to a corner, his reads improved enough in center that he could also be above average there. In a sign of the Mets’ growing confidence in him, Benge made 17 of his 24 defensive starts at Triple-A in the middle of the grass. There might not be a plus-plus tool here, but Benge is projecting as a regular contributor with above-average skills across the board."

MLB.com

Assuming Benge splits time with Tyrone Taylor, right field could go from a defensive hole to a pillar of strength for the Mets. The team accumulated a total of 25 DRS last year, 15th in MLB, and while they're far from the bottom of the barrel, there's plenty of work to be done.

Improving the fielding production of the outfield may have been a reason for the front office acquiring Luis Robert Jr. who consistently posts strong OAA figures despite inconsistent numbers at the plate. In a similar vein, the Mets also signed Cristian Pache to a minor-league deal in December and he'll join Benge in fighting for a spot on the big league team this spring.

With plenty of talented athletes in the running for just a couple of roster spots, having any advantage is key. Benge's well-rounded skillset and prospect upside could give him the inside track but we haven't seen him at the highest level just yet. His defensive profile will be difficult for fans to gauge but it'll undoubtedly be one of the aspects of his game the team is keeping their eye on this spring.