FORT WORTH, Texas — A new chapter in the Mets’ development system has begun with a bang, as a second two-way player comes out of Oklahoma State. At least, he hopes to be a two-way player.
Carson Benge, a left-handed outfielder known for his hitting but also a strong right-handed pitcher, was selected 19th overall in the first round of the draft on Sunday at Cowtown Coliseum.
The intriguing selection marks the first under the system made by team president David Stearns and vice president of amateur scouting Chris Gross.
The Mets already had a two-way player out of Oklahoma State in Nolan McLean, a slugger and starting pitcher out of Double-A Binghamton.
But Benge said McLean’s hitting had slowed down at senior level and his body was feeling the effects of the double job, so he recently decided to focus on pitching.
The Mets, at the very least, gave McLean a chance. That’s what his best friend, Benge, who met McLean on the Cowboys campus and hit it off with him because “we’re both redheads and we’re both two-way guys,” Benge said with a smile.
“We want to be able to at least do both,” Benge said over Zoom.
Gross, who currently oversees the Mets’ draft, also did not comment on Benge, saying the player’s use would be discussed.
Gross said that at this point, [Benge] It was still on the board.
“He’s just a great baseball player. Very instinctive, makes a lot of contact,” Gross said. “Long term, we think he can be a five-tool center fielder.”
The news was exactly what McLean, who often plays the video game Rocket League with Benji, had envisioned.
“We’ve been trying to make this happen for a while,” McLean said. When he saw the draft pick, he remembered a conversation he’d had and bombarded Benge with text messages. “‘I hope you join the Mets. It’d be awesome to be teammates with him.'”
The Mets stepped outside the box with some key choices.
Stearns, who the Mets officially hired from the Brewers in October, brought Gross on board in late November.
Gross spent the past 11 seasons with the Astros, four of which were as the team’s top draft pick.
During his 11 seasons as a scout with Houston, the team produced more major leaguers (58) than any other team.
The two want to rebuild a Mets farm system that has underperformed in recent years, and much of the long-term reinforcement will come from developing draft picks into true prospects.
That process began with Benge, a 6-foot-1, 21-year-old who enrolled at Oklahoma State as a two-way player but had to undergo Tommy John surgery just before his freshman season.
His arm recovered, but his most impressive weapon in college was his bat.
He appeared in 61 games last season and batted .335/.444/.665 with 18 home runs, 49 walks and just 51 strikeouts.
“Really, there’s very little I can’t do with a bat in my hand,” said Benge, who also pitched 37 innings last season, mostly as a relief pitcher, with a 3.16 ERA.
“He’s just a phenomenal player,” said McLean, the Mets’ third-round draft pick last year. “From a pure baseball and athletic standpoint, he’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever been around.”
McLean has given Benge plenty of advice, and will likely have even more to offer as he completes his own attempt to follow in Shohei Ohtani’s footsteps.
The right-handed hitter/pitcher flourished at High-A Brooklyn before his arm became a better weapon at Double-A.
“It could go on forever,” McLean said of focusing on one path. “The biggest problem was my workload and my physical condition. I knew from the beginning it was going to be hard.”
The Mets continued their quest to acquire talented athletes by selecting Duke left-handed pitcher Jonathan Santucci in the second round.
Santucci, the 46th overall pick, played in the outfield and as a designated hitter for the Blue Devils but plans to focus on pitching as a professional.
Last season, the left-hander posted a 3.41 ERA in 13 starts and struck out 90 batters in 58 innings.
After selecting two players, it became clear that the Mets wanted the best player available.
“We definitely [athleticism] “It’s very high,” Gross said.
