2 strikes vs. a lefty: Benge adds notable 1st HR to promising spring

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Carson Benge has been impressive this spring as he competes for the Mets’ right-field job, producing another highlight on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old hit his first home run of the spring in the Mets’ 5-2 win over Team Israel, though the homer won’t count toward his spring statistics because it was not an official Grapefruit League contest.

“It always feels great, but I can't really focus too much on results or anything,” said Benge, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Mets' No. 2 prospect and No. 16 overall. “My work that I do pregame and postgame is really all that matters to me.”

Benge hit a 1-2 fastball from left-hander (and Guardians Minor Leaguer) Ryan Prager, drilling it a Statcast-projected 350 feet over the left-field wall at Clover Park.

“Two strikes, he stays in there, and he's not only able to put the ball in play, but he drives the ball with authority,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s part of what he does. It's exciting.”

Prior to the game, Mendoza said Benge’s approach against lefties was one of the things that has stood out most for the manager this spring.

“As advertised, [he’s] a guy with a lot of tools,” Mendoza said. “I've been impressed with the quality of the bats as far as left-on-left, fouling off pitches, putting the ball in play, his ability to drive the baseball to all fields.”

While Benge seemed happy to hear what his manager had said, he insisted he’s not trying to do anything different against lefties than he does against righties.

“I don't really think about it too much,” Benge said. “Honestly, it doesn't matter to me who's up there. I just try and do my best to win the battle.”

Welcome back
A.J. Minter made his first outing of the spring in a back-field Minor League scrimmage, throwing one scoreless inning as he works his way back from last year’s left lat surgery. Minter allowed two hits and struck out one batter.

“The first one is always the hardest,” Minter said. “It definitely felt good to be back out there. I’m happy with the results, came in and threw strikes; just tried not to walk people today and fill up the zone, get the first one under my belt.”

Minter is about a month behind the rest of the Mets’ pitchers, putting him on track to join the club in early May. He posted a 1.64 ERA in 13 appearances last year before the injury ended his season on April 26, but Wednesday’s outing left the southpaw feeling good as he looks to build himself up for the season.

“I'm glad I got that one out of the way,” Minter said. “Now it's time to treat it like a regular season, get my arm built up and be able to help this team out.”

Minter will continue to throw live batting practice and should pitch in more Minor League games, though it’s unclear whether he will get into a Grapefruit League game this spring.

“We know this is a guy who is used to pitching in high leverage; we saw it last year before he went down,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to be a huge part of our team.”

Welcome back: Part 2
Christian Scott made his first appearance of the spring, allowing two hits while striking out five in 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Team Israel. It was his first game action since July 2024 as he missed the entire '25 season following Tommy John surgery.

“I was a little nervous out there,” Scott said. “I haven’t thrown in so long with the defense and the crowd.”

Scott posted a 4.56 ERA over nine starts in 2024 prior to his injury.

“It’s been a long road for him,” Mendoza said. “It hasn't been easy, especially when you have to go through the whole rehab process. He had a taste of it in 2024, and he was really good for us. Just with the way the ball is coming out, he's got life on that fastball.”

Mets musings
• Luis Robert Jr. played four innings in center field in Wednesday's Minor League game, his first time in the outfield this spring. Mendoza said Robert would play in back-field games every other day this week, but he could get into his first Grapefruit League game sometime next week.

• Francisco Lindor continued his hitting progression Wednesday, taking swings for the first time since his surgery three weeks ago.