Mets Outfield Prospect Carson Benge Has Signature Moment in MLB Debut

Many baseball players have hit a home run in their first major league game. And now, New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge can add his name to that list.

Benge, MLB Pipeline's No. 16 overall prospect for 2026, launched a solo shot during the sixth inning of the Mets' 11-7 Opening Day victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. The 23-year-old turned on a first-pitch sweeper and drove it to right field with an exit velocity of 105.3 mph to record his first big league hit and homer on the same swing.

The Mets' top position player prospect turned plenty of heads this spring, collecting 15 hits in 41 spring training at-bats. That production, along with a knee injury suffered by veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman, seemingly put Benge in a position to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. And even though he's only played one major league game so far, Mets fans are probably already ecstatic to see what else the 2024 first-round draft pick has in store for this season.

How did Carson Benge perform in the rest of his MLB debut?

New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge — The New York Mets' Carson Benge heads to the dugout after hitting a home run against Israel in a spring training game, March 4, 2026, at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. Mets won 5-2. | CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the home run is undoubtedly the highlight reel moment from Benge's major league debut, the rookie found a way to fill up his line in the box score. In his first big league at-bat, though, the 23-year-old struck out on three pitches against Paul Skenes. But that was Benge's only at-bat against the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, who didn't make it out of the first inning after surrendering five runs on four hits and two walks.

The lefty-swinging outfielder also struck out in his second at-bat of the day, but then the Opening Day jitters seemingly disappeared. Benge worked an eight-pitch walk in the fifth inning to reach base for the first time in his major league career, and he came around to score his first big league run on a Juan Soto single. After homering in his fourth at-bat, the 2024 first-round pick rounded out his major league debut by walking once again in the eighth inning and soon after recording his first big league stolen base.

Overall, Benge finished his first major league game 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, two walks, and a stolen base. This is just the beginning for the young outfielder, who's already given Mets fans a glimpse of the talent that made him one of the top prospects in baseball heading into the season.