After slipping from 89 wins and a visit to the Nationwide League Championship Sequence in 2024 to 83 wins and the quick straw in a tiebreaker for a Wild Card berth in 2025, the Mets have a brand new look to their outfield because of an energetic offseason, some place adjustments, and an astute draft choose. Whereas the suitable area job has but to be settled, a number of gamers battling for time on the place have put their greatest foot ahead in the course of the first two weeks of exhibition season, with the 2 who determine most prominently within the group’s plans homering earlier this week. On Wednesday, prime prospect Carson Benge hit his first house run of the spring in an exhibition recreation in opposition to Group Israel, and on Thursday, Brett Baty went deep in opposition to the Nationals whereas making his debut in proper area, a continuation of his effort to broaden his defensive repertoire.
In the meantime, MLB.com beat reporter Anthony DiComo summarized final week’s highlights:
It has been fairly the week for the Mets’ right-field competitors.
Tuesday: Mike Tauchman homered in his first Grapefruit League at-bat.
Thursday: Carson Benge went 3-for-3, and Tyrone Taylor hit a three-run homer.
Friday: MJ Melendez hit a pair of opposite-field homers. pic.twitter.com/Tnti901ZLa
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 27, 2026
No spring coaching end result needs to be taken at face worth given the various ranges of competitors, and that’s very true earlier than individuals have been warned concerning the Ides of March, however the entire state of affairs is value a better look.
Final 12 months’s major Mets outfield featured Brandon Nimmo in left, Tyrone Taylor in middle, and Juan Soto in proper. The 2 corners had been each steady, with Nimmo beginning 146 video games and producing 3.0 WAR, and Soto beginning 157 video games, overcoming a gradual begin to his 15-year, $765 million contract, and producing 5.8 WAR. Heart area was a multitude, nevertheless, with the plan for Taylor and Jose Siri to share the job rapidly breaking down after the latter fractured his tibia in mid-April. Whereas Taylor ended up beginning 85 video games there, he hit a meager .223/.279/.319 (70 wRC+) general; Carlos Mendoza moreover blended in Jeff McNeil and deadline acquisition Cedric Mullins, however in the long run, the group’s middle fielders netted simply 0.7 WAR whereas hitting for a 71 wRC+, numbers that respectively ranked twenty sixth and twenty seventh within the majors.
Nimmo is now a Ranger, traded straight up for second baseman Marcus Semien in late November. Siri, who didn’t return till September after which performed simply six video games, is with the Angels now after being outrighted off the roster on the finish of the season. Mullins signed with the Rays in December after reaching free company, and McNeil was traded to the A’s for 17-year-old pitching prospect Yordan Rodriguez simply earlier than Christmas. In late January, the Mets traded infielder Luisangel Acuña and pitching prospect Truman Pauley to the White Sox for Luis Robert Jr., their new middle fielder, and simply earlier than camp opened, president of baseball operations David Stearns introduced that Soto would shift from proper area to left.
Therefore the opening in proper, the place the 23-year-old Benge, the nineteenth general choose within the 2024 draft out of Oklahoma State, may very well be the answer. He’s a 55-FV prospect who positioned twenty first on our Prime 100 Prospects listing final month and second on the freshly-published Mets listing, behind solely righty Nolan McLean. Although he lacks any standout software, Benge tasks to be above common in every single place besides his recreation energy (45 PV/50 FV). Nearly all of his skilled expertise is in middle area — and he might but wind up there provided that Robert is barely signed by means of this season, with a membership possibility for 2027 — however proper area is an possibility because of his plus arm. Pulling from his up to date prospect profile:
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It’s on protection that Benge’s profile has taken the most important step ahead. He performed proper area at Oklahoma State however has taken to middle area in professional ball, and now tasks as an above-average glove there. He runs properly, takes good routes into the gaps, and has consolation on the catch level. Contemplating he was not too long ago a two-way man and has solely centered on taking part in middle area for a couple of 12 months, he would possibly even have one other half grade extra within the tank than we’ve projected right here.
Final 12 months, Benge rocketed throughout three ranges, taking part in 60 video games at Excessive-A Brooklyn, 32 at Double-A Binghamton, and 24 at Triple-A Syracuse, hitting a mixed .281/.385/.472 (150 wRC+) with 15 homers and 22 steals. On condition that he scuffled throughout his transient keep at Syracuse, batting simply .178/.272/.311 with three homers in 103 plate appearances, the logical assumption is that Benge will begin the season there, however Stearns has left the door open for him to make the group out of camp, as he mentioned in February within the wake of saying Soto’s transfer (extra on which beneath). Per SNY:
“We’ve been constant all through the offseason that Carson’s gonna come to camp with an opportunity to make our group — that is still the identical,” Stearns mentioned. “He’s performed a whole lot of proper area throughout his time within the minor leagues. We’re assured with him on the market.”
…”I feel evaluations in spring are all the time a bit bit fraught, and we all know that,” Stearns famous. “We wish to see high quality at-bats, we wish to see him deal with the outfield. It’s additionally gonna rely on what another guys do, proper? It’s not all going to be depending on how Carson appears to be like.
“We’re not gonna get too preoccupied with floor line outcomes somehow, and we’ll make the perfect choice that we will on Opening Day — recognizing that Opening Day is sooner or later, and rosters can change fairly rapidly.”
In Wednesday’s recreation in opposition to Group Israel, Benge linked on a 1-2 fastball from Ryan Prager, a 23-year-old lefty chosen within the ninth spherical out of Texas A&M by the Guardians final 12 months:
The other-field homer traveled an estimated 350 ft based on Statcast, however it was Benge’s method somewhat than the gap that impressed Mendoza, who mentioned, “Two strikes, he stays in there, and he’s not solely capable of put the ball in play, however he drives the ball with authority… I’ve been impressed with the standard of the bats so far as left-on-left, fouling off pitches, placing the ball in play, his capability to drive the baseball to all fields.”
One homer off a participant with even much less skilled expertise than Benge — Prager made simply two A-level appearances after signing — received’t determine who will get the Opening Day task or who will get probably the most reps all through the season. If Benge makes the group, he figures to play most days, although he may have a platoon complement given final 12 months’s .232/.407/.326 line in 123 plate appearances in opposition to lefties. Taylor is probably the most distinguished reserve righty within the outfield image, although he hit simply .211/.297/.256 (62 wRC+) in 102 plate appearances in opposition to lefties in 2025, and .232/.290/.369 (84 wRC+) in opposition to them over the previous three seasons.
Baty and Tauchman each bat lefty as properly, however provide higher suits, each with Benge and if he begins the season within the minors. The 26-year-old Baty is coming off a breakout after quite a few ups and downs from 2022–24. A 2019 first-round select of Lake Travis Excessive College in Austin, Texas, he ranked as excessive as no. 19 on our 2023 Prime 100 Prospects listing, however from ’22 — when his late-season call-up was curtailed by a torn ligament in his proper thumb — to ’24, he hit simply .215/.282/.325 (71 wRC+) with 15 homers in 602 plate appearances. Whereas he had good months and unhealthy in 2025, he hit a decent .254/.313/.435 (111 wRC+) general, together with a relatively promising .247/.301/.377 (94 wRC+) in 83 plate appearances in opposition to lefties after batting simply .173/.214/.256 (30 wRC+) in 143 plate appearances in opposition to them from 2022–24.
As Davy Andrews detailed final August, Baty made a slew of changes final 12 months. He opened his stance by a number of levels, quieted his pre-pitch motion, moved deeper within the field, let the ball journey a bit farther, swung a bit more durable, and made a lot better contact — utilizing the entire area — than he’d beforehand performed on the main league degree. Right here’s a comparability of his bat-tracking numbers, plus his pulled and pulled air charges:
Brett Baty Bat Monitoring
| Season | Depth in Field | Stance | Avg. Swing Velocity | Quick % | Intercept | Sq. Up% | Blast% | Pull% | Pull Air% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 27.1 | 0° | 75.8 | 58.1% | 0.4 | 17.7% | 11.3% | 37.4% | 12.6% |
| 2024 | 26.4 | 4° OPEN | 73.5 | 38.0% | 3.4 | 14.4% | 6.5% | 42.9% | 18.8% |
| 2025 | 30.0 | 8° OPEN | 74.8 | 48.5% | -3.4 | 22.7% | 12.8% | 35.4% | 14.9% |
Supply: Baseball Savant
Baty’s common level of contact moved again nearly seven inches, from 3.4 inches in entrance of the plate to three.4 inches previous the entrance. Assembly the ball later, he pulled it much less however grew to become extra productive, along with his blast charge almost doubling. In the meantime, his common exit velocity shot up 4 ticks, his barrel charge greater than doubled, his anticipated slugging proportion elevated by 110 factors, and his xwOBA elevated by 50 factors:
Brett Baty Statcast Porile
| Season | BBE | EV | maxEV | LA | Brl% | HH% | AVG | xBA | SLG | xSLG | wOBA | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 249 | 89.5 | 113.7 | 6.6 | 7.6% | 44.2% | .212 | .235 | .323 | .383 | .266 | .300 |
| 2024 | 112 | 86.6 | 112.0 | 10.3 | 5.4% | 33.0% | .229 | .208 | .327 | .347 | .282 | .284 |
| 2025 | 289 | 90.7 | 115.6 | 5.8 | 12.8% | 46.7% | .254 | .252 | .435 | .457 | .324 | .330 |
With rookie Ronny Mauricio recalled in June and with McNeil pulled into the middle area combine, Baty added second base — a place he hadn’t performed professionally to that time — to his repertoire final 12 months. He performed 57 video games there with 3 DRS and -2 FRV, in addition to 87 video games at third with 4 DRS and 1 FRV. With Bo Bichette signed to play third base, second now within the fingers of Semien, and Pete Alonso now an Oriole, the Mets have had Baty attempt some new gloves on for dimension in an effort to show him right into a superutility participant. Final week, he debuted at first base, a place he hadn’t performed since highschool. The Mets signed Jorge Polanco to spend time at first base regardless of his lack of expertise there, although with the DH spot open as properly, there’s room for each Polanco and Baty within the lineup if Mendoza so wishes.
Thursday marked Baty’s debut within the outfield, the place he’s by no means performed professionally, although he’s shagged balls throughout batting observe; his solely defensive motion in opposition to the Nationals was fielding a single within the fourth inning. He’ll stay within the combine. “There are going to be at-bats for him in a whole lot of totally different positions,” mentioned Mendoza. “He might play third, second and first, and now the outfield is in play.”
As for his homer, Baty went oppo off Nationals righty Miles Mikolas:
In the meantime, the 35-year-old Tauchman, whom the Mets signed to a minor league deal in mid-February, is combating for a roster spot. Tauchman spent final 12 months with the White Sox, hitting .263/.356/.400 with 1.4 WAR; his 9 homers (in 385 plate appearances) and 115 wRC+ had been his highest marks since his 2019 breakout efficiency with the Yankees. His season ended on a down notice, as a torn meniscus in his proper knee — doubtless sustained in late July — shut him down in late September and led to surgical procedure.
Whereas Tauchman doesn’t hit the ball all that arduous, he’s an exceptionally disciplined hitter with a profession chase charge of simply 20.5%, and he’s principally platoon-neutral. Final 12 months, he had a 121 wRC+ in opposition to lefties and 114 in opposition to righties, and for the previous three seasons — the primary two of which had been with the Cubs — he’s acquired a 111 wRC+ in opposition to every. He’s a stable defender on the corners, however his days of recognizing in middle area are behind him, which places him at a drawback relative to Taylor in terms of a roster spot; he hasn’t performed the place since 2019. Nonetheless, he makes extra sense for the roster than the 27-year-old MJ Melendez, one other NRI; the lefty-swinging ex-Royal owns an 88 wRC+ for his profession and made simply 65 plate appearances within the majors final 12 months.
As for shifting Soto, when he knowledgeable Mendoza that he’d be taking part in left area on the Dominican Republic group in the course of the World Baseball Basic — yielding to proper fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. simply as he did when the 2 performed along with the Padres in 2023 — it sparked a dialog with Mendoza about his consolation degree on the place for the Mets. Soto relayed to Mendoza that he was snug in both spot. “He was like, ‘I’m prepared to do no matter. In order for you me to pitch, Mendy, I’ll pitch,’ type of with that smile,” mentioned Mendoza. Statistically, it’s a break up choice, in that he’s fared higher there based on Statcast, however higher in proper based on DRS:
Juan Soto Defensive Metrics
| Left Discipline | Group | Inn | rARM | rGFP | rPM | DRS | Vary | Arm | FRV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | WSN | 987.0 | 2 | -3 | -3 | -4 | -5 | 0 | -5 |
| 2019 | WSN | 1327.1 | -6 | -1 | 10 | 3 | 5 | -6 | 0 |
| 2020 | WSN | 289.1 | -2 | 0 | -7 | -9 | -2 | -1 | -3 |
| 2023 | SDP | 1345.0 | 2 | 1 | -8 | -5 | -6 | 2 | -4 |
| 2024 | NYY | 52.0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Whole | – – – | 4000.2 | -3 | -2 | -9 | -14 | -7 | -4 | -12 |
| 2020 | WSN | 43.0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | WSN | 1226.0 | -1 | -2 | 9 | 6 | 4 | -3 | 1 |
| 2022 | WSN/SDP | 1298.1 | -2 | -1 | 1 | -2 | -12 | -5 | -17 |
| 2024 | NYY | 1277.2 | 3 | 2 | -6 | -1 | -3 | 2 | -1 |
| 2025 | NYM | 1374.0 | 0 | 1 | -8 | -7 | -11 | -2 | -13 |
| Whole | – – – | 5219.0 | 0 | 0 | -5 | -5 | -22 | -8 | -29 |
| LF Prorated | 1350.0 | -1 | -1 | -3 | -5 | -2 | -1 | -4 | |
| RF Profated | 1350.0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -6 | -2 | -8 |
I’ve maintained the element run values for every system’s metrics, which escape arm worth from vary, with DRS additionally including a class for Good Fielding Performs (rGFP) above and past the standard fare, together with nice throws and catches. Word that the figures won’t add up due to rounding.
Not proven above are Statcast’s directional numbers, which counsel that Soto’s largest problem is ranging towards the foul line of whichever nook he’s taking part in. Not one of the 4 ballparks he’s known as house has a lot in the best way of foul territory within the corners, so he’s understandably wall-averse, and the problem appears to be magnified in proper area, the place as a lefty he has to backhand a ball that’s near the wall. Without any consideration fielder, he has collected -14 Outs Above Common going in the direction of the primary base aspect and -8 OAA going in the direction of the third base aspect, whereas as a left fielder, he’s totaled -5 OAA going towards the third base aspect and -3 OAA going in the direction of the primary base aspect. The distinction doesn’t quantity to a lot, but when it really works for the remainder of the outfielders and retains Soto’s bat within the lineup — actually, crucial factor — it’s positive.
As for the 28-year-old Robert, on paper, he might solely appear like a modest improve, as he’s coming off back-to-back seasons with an 84 wRC+; he hit a meager .223/.297/.364 with 14 house runs and 1.3 WAR in 2025 whereas spending a month and a half on the injured listing for a recurrent left hamstring pressure. The actual query is whether or not liberating him from the Darkish Ages of the White Sox will help him get better the shape he confirmed beforehand. From 2020–23, he hit for a 125 wRC+ whereas totaling 11.8 WAR and 74 homers in 367 video games, successful a Gold Glove as a rookie and capping that stretch with a 38-homer, 4.9-WAR season in ’23, when he set a profession excessive with 145 video games and made his lone All-Star group. Amid his down seasons, groups have been attempting to pry Roberts unfastened as a result of that upside is so tantalizing.
It’s too early to inform how all of this can shake out in proper area. Even so, the incoming expertise has given the Mets so much to dream on in terms of their new-look outfield.