Mets value athleticism and versatility in their first two draft picks

The Mets opened a new era for their amateur scouting department on Sunday night by selecting outfielder Carson Benge and left-handed pitcher Jonathan Santucci in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. This is the Mets’ first draft led by vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross, who was poached from Houston by baseball president David Stearns in the offseason.

The Mets selected their player 19th in the first round, down ten spots from his previous draft lottery placement because New York exceeded the luxury tax by more than $40 million last season.

No. 19 Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State

The basics: Benge — pronounced like the first syllable of “engine,” with a B — played two seasons at Oklahoma State after a redshirt year due to Tommy John surgery. In those two years, the left-handed outfielder batted .339 with a .455 on-base percentage and a .609 slugging average. Last year, he had 44 extra-base hits in 62 games.

On the mound, he posted a 4.88 ERA over the two years, with better results last season as a swingman used in both the rotation and the bullpen. Benge said he would at least like to try both hitting and pitching.

“He can do anything on a baseball field,” Gross said.

Carson Benge, pictured pitching in the Big 12 Baseball Championship game, would like to continue playing professional baseball as a two-way player. (Mike Janes/Four Seam Images via Associated Press)

Benge hits the ball hard, but not always in the air, and he mentioned that his goal is to lift the ball more often.

While Benge said he would at least like to try to remain a two-way player in professional basketball, the Mets said that would have to be a conversation. Gross talked about how Benge’s body might develop and how his power might increase if he focused more on hitting.

The insight: “He impressed us with his approach in the box, his power and his athleticism in the outfield,” Gross said. “We believe he can be a five-tool center fielder long-term.”

The fit: While Benge often played in a corner outfield position at Oklahoma State, the Mets believe he can play center field as well. He’s not exactly the first left-handed hitter they’ve drafted in the first round in recent years who they believe can play center field. Jarred Kelenic and Pete Crow-Armstrong ended up elsewhere pretty quickly.

The connection: Benge, 21, could follow a lead from Nolan McLean, his former college roommate in Stillwater. Drafted by the Mets in the third round last summer as a two-way player, McLean played on both sides of the ball for the first three months of this season. In late June, however, when he was promoted to Double A, McLean dropped hitting to focus more on pitching.

McLean has been a source of encouragement and insight for Benge all season. He said they’ve been talking daily recently and McLean has been texting him nonstop after the Mets selected him.

“Seeing what he does and goes through gave me a pretty good idea” of what professional baseball looks like for a two-way player, Benge said.

“We’ve been trying to make this happen for some time,” McLean said of Benge joining the Mets organization. “He’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever met.”

No. 46 Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke

The basics: Santucci, the Blue Devils’ Friday night starter last season, posted a 6-1 record and a 3.41 ERA, striking out more than 35 percent of opposing batters. Duke went 11-2 in those starts in the highly competitive ACC.

The 21-year-old relies primarily on a four-seam fastball and a slider, occasionally mixed with a changeup. He hovers around 90 miles per hour with that fastball.

The insight: “It’s a complete repertoire,” Gross said. “It’s power stuff from the left side.”

The fit: The Mets have had a lot of success recently with college pitchers who moved quickly through the system: Christian Scott in particular, but also Blade Tidwell, Brandon Sproat, Mike Vasil and Dominic Hamel. Santucci could follow that model from the left side.

Despite being the exclusive starter in his final two seasons in Durham, Santucci doesn’t have much experience with his arm. He didn’t pitch much as a high school student in Massachusetts, and he missed some time in 2023 with bone chips in his elbow and 2024 with a rib injury.

The Mets are excited to see how much Santucci can develop this changeup as he spends more time on the mound.

(Top photo of Carson Benge: Mike Janes / Four Seam Images via Associated Press)