Juan Soto has watched Carson Benge up close all season, and he’s already talking about the rookie the way people talk about him.
Juan Soto does not hand out the word superstar lightly, but he has stopped hedging when the subject is Carson Benge. Speaking with SNY after another strong night from the rookie right fielder, the Mets slugger ran through everything Benge does well and made clear he expects the best is still coming.
“He can do it all,” Soto said mid-game. “He can run, he can throw, he can hit homers. Everything that you can think of, he can do it. And the best thing that he can do is smiling every day. So I think that’s huge for a young guy.”
“I can’t wait to see him grow.”
Juan Soto on Carson Benge: pic.twitter.com/AmBH1qCLAB
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 19, 2026
The numbers support the enthusiasm. Benge is hitting .273 with 17 home runs, 57 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in his first full major league season, a rare blend of contact, power and speed for a 23-year-old. His defense has been just as valuable, with his arm rating in the 98th percentile in strength and 96th percentile in arm value entering August, and his catches in right field have become routine enough that teammates now expect them.
Soto’s perspective carries extra weight because of proximity. Their lockers sit near each other in the Mets clubhouse, and Soto has taken on something of a mentor role during Benge’s rookie year, watching how he handles slumps and carries himself day to day rather than judging him from across the league.
Asked why Mets fans should be excited about Benge and the rest of the young core, Soto pointed to the parts that have not developed yet. “Whenever that guy starts learning his body and how to control emotions and go through all of his stuff in the big leagues, you know, it’s a little different up here,” he said. “But whenever he learns that, I think he’s going to be really special. So I can’t wait to see him grow.”
Benge has come a long way in a short time. The Mets selected him 19th overall in the 2024 draft out of Oklahoma State, and he made the Opening Day roster this spring before homering for his first major league hit on March 26 against the Pirates.
Juan Soto does not hand out the word superstar lightly, but he has stopped hedging when the subject is Carson Benge. Speaking with SNY after another strong night from the rookie right fielder, the Mets slugger ran through everything Benge does well and made clear he expects the best is still coming. “He can do it all,” Soto said mid-game.