Carson Benge is one of the most intriguing names to watch on the New York Mets in MLB’s 2026 season. The rookie made the Orange and Blue’s Opening Day roster as a right fielder, but manager Carlos Mendoza has made it clear that Benge could fill in for his teammates in another outfield role. Brett Baty’s designation may be subject to change, too.
As Mendoza admitted in a media availability and according to SNY Mets, New York plans to have Brett Baty take over at right field and Benge switch to center field whenever two conditions are met: Luis Robert Jr. is off the diamond and the Mets are facing a right-handed batter.
Mendoza’s admission makes it clear the Mets will be anything but static in 2026. Determined to right its wrongs from last season’s disappointment, New York is now leaving no stone unturned. Even if that means putting third baseman Baty in an outfielder role and moving Benge around in his rookie campaign. Whether the move pays off or not, that’s a whole other question.
Has Baty played outfielder before?
While often moved around the diamond, Baty has rarely played in an outfield role for the Mets. According to ESPN, Baty has just one appearance as a left fielder in Queens, and that came during the 2023 MLB season. Mendoza and the Mets must have seen something in Baty—a left-handed batter and right-handed thrower—that makes them confident the 26-year-old can play on the opposite side of the field.
Brett Baty at Citi Field
So far in the 2026 MLB campaign, though, Baty has only played as a designated hitter. However, he could be back at his hot corner duties soon. The Mets seem destined to be a team that routinely undergoes changes to their squad this season.
Baty, as well as Benge, could be names in constant movement across the lineup. In recent years, the Orange and Blue pinstripers have lacked that dynamism, and they are now determined to make the most of the cards they’ve been dealt.
