Mets Players Who Helped Themselves Most In Spring Training

The New York Mets have a lot of expectations in 2026 after an offseason full of change. David Stearns overhauled the roster after 2025's epic collapse and the result appears to be a more well-rounded team capable of thriving in today's game.

There is no doubt that the Mets will need their stars to perform to meet their lofty goals. A lineup led by Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette is an excellent foundation to build off of and the addition of Freddy Peralta gives the rotation the ace they were missing a year ago.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have shown us that even with all of their stars it takes contributions from everyone on the roster to win it all. Guys like Alex Call, Miguel Rojas and Roki Sasaki may not have been the most important Dodgers during their title run but each had a key part to play in their postseason success.

There is a long way to go before the Mets are in play for the postseason, but they are hoping that their depth makes a big difference. Let's take a look at three players who used strong spring trainings to position themselves as key contributors for the 2026 Mets.

RHP Kodai Senga

Trade rumors swirled all offseason around Senga, who lost a spot in the rotation down the stretch due to a lack of command. But nobody made the Mets an offer Stearns deemed acceptable for Senga. As a result, Senga took his opportunity and ran with it to beat out Sean Manaea for a spot in the starting rotation.

Kodai Senga struck out 5 in 3 perfect innings today! pic.twitter.com/LZsUlKxzSn
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 13, 2026

Dominant spring results were a good sign for Senga, who pitched to a 1.86 ERA in three starts. He also struck out 11 batters in 11.2 innings pitched. Senga demonstrated improved control, walking only one batter in camp, and his stuff looks as electric as ever.

The upside for Senga is enormous as he was an All Star in 2023. He could have gone back again last season if he didn't injure his hamstring in mid-June. The best version of the Mets has Senga starting playoff games. So if he can recapture that form it is a huge win for the organization.

OF Carson Benge

The Mets left an opening for Benge to make their Opening Day roster over the winter. They even moved Juan Soto over to left field to make things easier on the rookie defensively. Despite a strong push from veteran Mike Tauchman, Benge forced his way onto the team. He will be the starting right fielder on Thursday.

"Holy s***, I want to be here."

The moment Carson Benge became a big leaguer 🥹 pic.twitter.com/3Y2flYHjDa
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 24, 2026

An injury to Tauchman late in camp sealed the deal for Benge. But his performance throughout the spring was rather impressive. Benge looked like he belonged, batting .366 with an .874 OPS in 41 at-bats. He also played solid defense in right field.

The decision to carry Benge on the Opening Day roster is a shrewd one. There will be less attention on his major league debut with all of the team's new faces. The plan is for Benge to bat lower in the order. But he has shown the potential to force his way higher in the lineup.

RHP Huascar Brazoban

Few Mets took advantage of their time in the World Baseball Classic more than Brazoban. Brazoban became an important part of the Dominican Republic's bullpen, tossing four scoreless innings. He also struck out seven batters in the tournament.

Huascar Brazoban with a 1-2-3 inning against team USA! pic.twitter.com/AX5MK8bpUW
— Mets'd Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) March 16, 2026

With the Mets carrying six starting pitchers (technically seven given Tobias Myers' ability to fill the role), they prioritized relievers who can give them multi-inning stints. Brazoban has shown that ability in the past and his electric showing in the WBC made him a slam-dunk to earn a spot on the team.

It hasn't always been easy for Brazoban. He was lights out to start 2025 before overuse took a toll on his performance. The hope here would be that the Mets can get more length out of their starters. This would allow Brazoban to not be heavily taxed in April. It would also help him maintain his gains from this spring throughout the season.

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