Carson Benge

Benge attended Yukon High School in Yukon, Oklahoma, where he played baseball. He committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma State University prior to his senior year. As a senior in 2021, Benge pitched to an 8–1 record with 124 strikeouts alongside batting .490. He went unselected in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft and enrolled at Oklahoma State. Benge redshirted and did not appear in a game in 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made his collegiate debut in 2023, pitching to a 6.69 ERA over 35 innings and appearing in 59 games primarily in right field. He batted .345 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs. That summer, he briefly played for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Benge entered the 2024 season as a top prospect for the upcoming draft. Over 61 games, he hit .335 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs alongside posting a 3.16 ERA over 37 innings. ==Professional career==

The New York Mets selected Benge in the first round with the 19th overall pick of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Mets on July 23 for $4 million, and confirmed that he would focus solely on playing outfield as opposed to continuing to be a two-way player. After signing, Benge made his professional debut with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, hitting .273 with two home runs over 15 games. He was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to open the 2025 season. In June, Benge was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He was also selected to represent the Mets (alongside Jonah Tong) at the 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park. In August, he was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. After four games with Syracuse, he was placed on the injured list but returned to play shortly. Over 116 games between the three affiliates, Benge hit .281 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI and 22 stolen bases. He was named the Mets Minor League Player of the Year. On March 23, 2026, the Mets announced that Benge had made the team's Opening Day roster. He made his Major League debut on March 26 against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the Mets' home opener, hitting a home run off Justin Lawrence for his first major league hit. ==Personal life==

Benge is a Cherokee Nation citizen. Benge's older brother, Garrett, was drafted in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox. ==References==