The Mets added an intriguing prospect with their first-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, taking Carson Benge, a two-way star out of Oklahoma State, with the 19th overall pick.
Benge, who plays outfield, hit .335 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs in 248 at-bats as a redshirt sophomore last season while pitching to a 3.16 ERA in 37 innings, mostly as a reliever.
“I would like to at least have the opportunity to do both, because why not?” Benge said during an introductory Zoom call after being selected. “It’s there, and if either one hurts or my body can’t handle it, then I’ll know it’s time to put one down.”
This is the second straight year the Mets have selected a versatile prospect out of Oklahoma State. They selected Nolan McLean, a right-handed third baseman and starter, in the third round last year and had him pitch and hit in the minor leagues.
Benge said the Mets and other teams were open during the predraft process to the idea of him remaining a two-way player, but added: “We’ll have to see.”
Benge is close friends with McLean, who recently decided to “put down the bat” because doing both was “really, really hard on his body.” McLean’s last appearance in Double-A Binghamton was June 20.
McLean later confirmed his decision to prioritize pitching, telling reporters Sunday night: “I think it could be permanent. It was just the workload and how my body felt.”
As a position player, Benge, 21, who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, projects as a right fielder with an above-average arm, according to MLB Pipeline, which ranked him as the No. 18 prospect in the draft.
Benge said he considers hitting to be more fun than pitching because it means playing every day. He has solid contact skills with the ability to hit the ball hard, which should allow him to hit with power at the next level.
He was redshirted in 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, then made 10 starts in 2023, with a 6.69 ERA in 35 innings. Benge, who has a midrange fastball and a solid slider, made four starts in 18 pitching appearances last season.
The Yankees, meanwhile, used the 26th overall pick on Alabama right-handed starter Ben Hess.
Hess, 21, has a mid-90 mph fastball that he can reach up to 99 mph, according to MLB Pipeline, which ranked the right-hander as the No. 44 prospect in the draft.
Hess, who is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, pitched to a 5.80 ERA as a junior last season but has enviable skills, including a curveball that swings and misses.
“He has the upside to be a No. 2 starter, but he’ll need to throw more strikes to get there,” MLB Pipeline’s scouting report reads.
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