No. 2 prospect Benge among young talent ready to impact Mets in '26

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For as poorly as the 2025 season ended for the Mets, it was an objectively good year on the farm. Nolan McLean’s sensational debut highlighted a strong campaign for many of the organization’s top prospects, some of whom are on the cusp of the Majors themselves.

Here are three who could play major roles for the club in 2026:

OF Carson Benge (No. 2, MLB No. 21)

Not many Minor Leaguers did more to establish themselves in 2025 than Benge. Following a solid start to the season at High-A Brooklyn, Benge earned a promotion to Double-A Binghamton and proceeded to go bananas. Over 32 games there, the 2024 first-round Draft pick hit .317/.407/.571 with eight home runs, prompting the Mets to bump him further up the ladder to Triple-A Syracuse. That’s where Benge ended his summer.

“Through the course of the season, he’s a guy that really found his stride,” Mets vice president of player development Andy Green said.

Just 22 years old, Benge must prove more adept at Triple-A before the Mets will consider calling him up, meaning he’s not likely to be an Opening Day option. But the team does figure to build its 2025 roster with Benge in mind. Mets officials may shy away from acquiring a center fielder on a long-term deal, knowing Benge could be ready by midseason. If all goes to plan, Benge could eventually give the Mets the sort of long-term center-field solution they have sought for years.

(Relatedly, another recent draftee who could debut next year is No. 3 prospect Jett Williams. Williams’ production dipped after a late-season promotion to Syracuse, but he should begin 2026 at that level. Since the Mets took him in the first round in 2022, Williams has shown a consistent ability to reach base and cause havoc once he gets there. Team officials remain excited for his future, which could be at second base if Benge manages to lock down center and Francisco Lindor remains entrenched at shortstop.)

RHP Jonah Tong (No. 4, MLB No. 46)

Don’t judge Tong based on his five largely forgettable starts over the season’s final month. Before that, Tong did enough to earn the Mets’ organizational Pitcher of the Year award, producing a 1.43 ERA over 22 starts in the upper Minors. Barring an exceptional spring, there’s a decent chance Tong will start next season back at Triple-A. But he’s now just a short run of success away from potentially sticking in the Majors for good.

Beyond Tong is another wave of pitching prospects who could make noise in 2026. Will Watson (No. 11 prospect), Jack Wenninger (No. 13), Jonathan Santucci (No. 14) and Zach Thornton (No. 23) all reached Double-A this year, giving them a chance to follow the path Tong and McLean blazed this season. It wouldn’t be shocking to see any of those four in the Majors at some point late next year.

RHP Ryan Lambert (No. 22)

Since the day the Mets drafted him in the eighth round in 2024, Lambert has profiled as the type of hard-throwing reliever who could rise rapidly to the Majors. This season, the right-hander did nothing to complicate his path, producing a 1.62 ERA split between two levels. His 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings was fifth-highest of any Minor Leaguer to throw at least 50 innings.

If things continue to go well for Lambert, he could join Jonathan Pintaro (No. 17) and Dylan Ross (No. 20) as potential homegrown bullpen options -- something this relief corps badly needs. Pintaro briefly debuted earlier this year. Ross came up during the season’s final weekend but never appeared in a game. This time around, both should be in the mix from the start of Spring Training.