The Mets overhauled their offense last winter, and most of the players they let go were replaced with new players. Although they were not exchanged Marcus Semien is taking Jeff McNeilSecond baseman position. Pete Alonso It’s the Orioles, Jorge Polanco While he is gone, the first base position will be occupied a lot. (The new third baseman Beau Bichette Perhaps closer to a direct replacement for Alonso’s big right-handed bat. However, the player who was not directly replaced is the left fielder. Brandon Nemo.
After Nimmo was traded to the Rangers to bring in Semien, the Mets seemed like the most logical landing spot for the star outfielder. Kyle Tucker. The Mets pursued him, but Tucker eventually headed to the Dodgers. The Mets quickly pivoted to signing Bichette to fill out the middle of their lineup. transaction Louis Robert Jr. Repaired the existing hole in the club in the center. Cedric Mullins‘ We started, but there was still an empty spot in the outfield corner. That position remains somewhat unfilled. Mike Tauchman (minor league contract) and MJ Melendez (Split big league contract) Signed as a free agent, but the Mets plan to give away their top prospect carson benji Opportunity to land a big league job.
After Tucker Cody Bellinger When they hit the market, there weren’t many outfielders with a clear impact. Benge may be more productive than someone who: Harrison Bader or Mike YastrzemskySo there’s little point in signing a player of that caliber to a multi-year deal to keep him out. Benge is a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport who has reached Triple-A by the end of the 2025 campaign. Numerous other top prospects including: Connor Griffin pirate, JJ Weatherholt cardinal’s, Justin Crawford Phyllis’s and Bryce Eldridge The Giants will likely make the organization’s big league roster out of spring training despite having little to no MLB experience.
Does Benge fall into that category? There’s no doubt the team views him as a long-term option, but he hasn’t exactly forced the issue with minor league output. Benji appeared in 24 Triple-A games at the end of last year, but his batting average was only .178/.272/.311. Of course, that’s just a sample of 103 plate appearances, and his performance in High-A (.302/.417/.480 in 271 plate appearances) and Double-A (.317/.407/.571 in 145 plate appearances) earlier this year showed just how electric his bat is. Benge is 4-for-14 as a starter this spring.
There is some competition in the camp. The aforementioned Melendez has long been considered a top prospect in Kansas City, despite never having stepped foot in the major leagues. He is a career .257/.340/.496 hitter with 35 home runs in 173 Triple-A games. He hit two home runs and added a double in 11 spring plate appearances.
Tauchman, a 35-year-old veteran, offers a low-cost alternative based on his consistent big league record. He spent two seasons as a part-time outfielder with the Cubs before splitting time between right field and designated hitter with the White Sox last year. Over the past three seasons, he’s hit .255/.359/.381 with a wRC+ of 111, balancing a 21.3% strikeout rate with a strong 13.0% walk rate. Tauchman’s first nine at-bats this spring resulted in a double and a home run.
Opening Day is still about three weeks away, which gives Benge plenty of time to show his MLB ability or Tauchman to relax. There are many aspects to a Benge decision to consider. Sending him to Triple-A could give him more experience after struggling there late last year and buy the Mets another year of control of the club. Breaking camp with Benge on the roster could allow the Mets to consider him for future draft consideration through MLB’s prospect promotion incentives.
What do MLBTR readers think? Will the Mets use Benge in right field for Opening Day, or go with another option like Tauchman or Melendez? Please take the survey below.
