NEW YORK — When Carson Benge wasn’t finding success at the plate, the first-year outfielder decided his scruffy facial hair might be the culprit — leading to a major league grooming choice.
“I haven’t really been getting a ton of hits, so I just shaved it off and it worked,” Benge explained Wednesday evening following his delivery of two crucial singles for the New York Mets.
Whether it’s related to his grooming habits or not, the 23-year-old Benge has emerged as one of the limited positive developments for the cellar-dwelling Mets this year.
Following an initial stretch where he managed only a .136 batting average with two extra-base hits and three RBIs across his opening 21 major league appearances, he’s now posting a batting average above .300 with 17 RBIs and 19 runs scored over 32 contests since April 23. This month alone, Benge provided the decisive hit in three overtime victories within a six-day period.
“He’s always aggressive. He has a really good swing and he knows it,” star teammate Juan Soto said. “He’s squaring balls most of the time and that’s really cool to see.”
Benge’s major league introduction on opening day in March was memorable, featuring a home run, two walks and a stolen base during a victory against Pittsburgh at Citi Field. However, he subsequently appeared overwhelmed in the batter’s box.
Rather than get discouraged, he made adjustments. Benge has simplified his approach to hitting and shortened his swing — particularly when facing two strikes. His development was especially noticeable Wednesday during a 4-2 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds that broke New York’s five-game skid.
Facing two outs in the fifth inning, the left-handed batter recovered from a 0-2 deficit against lefty starter Andrew Abbott and connected on an up-and-in fastball toward center field on the eighth pitch for an RBI single that broke a 1-for-20 drought and put the Mets ahead 3-1.
“Just fight,” Benge said. “Fight for every pitch. Not give them anything. Try to be a tough out. That’s all you can do.”
During the seventh inning with two outs, he again fell behind 0-2 and produced another RBI single to center on a 98 mph up-and-in fastball from right-handed reliever Zach Maxwell to extend the lead to 4-2.
“It’s really good to see,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Because that’s a pitch that he struggled (with) early on. And he just continues to get better. He continues to find a way. That wasn’t an easy at-bat there. It’s two of them. Left on left — it was also pretty impressive. I mean, you’ve got to give him credit. He’s not going to back down. He’s going to continue to work. He’s going to continue to show up.”
When asked about his improvement against high fastballs in the strike zone, Benge offered his explanation.
“Just trying to stay short, put it in play. Not trying to do too much with them, and things have been working out,” he said. “Getting reps, playing every day is definitely nice, and building that confidence up is really good.”
Due to five-time All-Star Francisco Lindor being on the injured list, Benge is now hitting in the leadoff spot for the Mets (23-33) after starting the season lower in the batting order.
While his season statistics remain humble at .247 with three homers and 20 RBIs, Benge has made remarkable progress quickly: He was selected 19th overall in 2024 from Oklahoma State and earned the starting right-field position during spring training despite having only 24 games of Triple-A experience the previous year.
“The one thing that I like about him is you can never really tell whether he’s 0 for 8 the past couple of days or he’s just coming off a couple of games where he either hit a walk-off or had a game like this,” Mendoza said Wednesday evening. “He’s going to show up the next day and he’s going to be the same person and he’s going to give you his best. So, it’s pretty impressive for a player his age.”
Benge’s athletic ability has never been in doubt. He also pitched at Oklahoma State, and he’s demonstrated his strong throwing arm in right field on multiple occasions while making several spectacular catches as well.
The expensive Mets began this season anticipating a championship run, but Benge’s quick development and the promotion of 21-year-old center fielder A.J. Ewing from the minors are offering optimism for what lies ahead.
“There’s something special,” rookie pitcher Jonah Tong said. “I don’t even think you guys have seen the half of it yet. Being in the clubhouse with them for so long, just seeing the guys they are and what they do day in and day out, it’s really exciting. And they’re going to be staples in New York for a very long time.”
