Two potential breakout candidates for the Mets in 2026

Plus, positive updates on Francisco Lindor and A.J. Minter, and the WBC officially gets underway...

What’s Up with the Mets? 🌴

• The Mets came back to beat Israel 5-2 in a pre-WBC exhibition game (box)

• LHP David Peterson made his first start of spring and was strong, allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings with four strikeouts

• RHP Christian Scott, pitching in a game for the first time since July 2024, was stellar over 2.2 innings of work, striking out five with just two hits allowed

• RF Carson Benge hit his first home run of spring and went 1-for-3, while logging five innings in the field

• After RHP Adbert Alzolay gave up the game-tying home run and RHP Nick Burdi handed Israel the lead in the eighth, OF Ji Hwan Bae, 3B Jacob Reimer, and OF Yohairo Cuevas all hit RBI singles in a four-run eighth inning to win the game

• OF Luis Robert Jr. took part in a sim game for the first time as a Met on Wednesday, hitting a double and playing four innings out in center field

• OF Juan Soto ranked No. 5 in ESPN’s MLB 2026 Top 100 player rankings, while SS Francisco Lindor (No. 16), 3B Bo Bichette (No. 38), RHP Freddy Peralta (No. 68), and RHP Nolan McLean (No. 100) also cracked the list (ESPN)

• The Mets and RHP Nolan McLean agreed on a $791,500 salary for the 2026 season (NY Post)

---

Injury Updates 🏥

• SS Francisco Lindor (recovery from left hamate bone surgery) started his hitting progression on Wednesday after taking part in defensive drills on Tuesday

• RHP Nolan McLean (vertigo-like symptoms) got through four innings of a simulated game on the backfields in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday

• LHP A.J. Minter (lat surgery) faced hitters in a live BP for the first time this spring on Wednesday

---

---

Roster Moves 🗞️

• C/INF/OF Chris Suero reassigned to Minor League camp

• LHP Nate Lavender reassigned to Minor League camp

---

Wednesday, March 4:

• Juan Soto starred for the Dominican Republic in a 4-4 tie with the Tigers, hitting a home run, a triple, and finishing with three RBIs

• Mark Vientos finished 2-for-4 with a double to help Nicaragua beat the Cardinals, 2-1

• Jared Young went 1-for-4 as Canada beat the Phillies, 5-3

• RHP Carlos Guzman tossed a perfect inning with one strikeout in Venezuela’s 5-1 loss to the Nationals

Schedule | Standings | Scores

---

What I’m Reading 📰

• The A’s aren’t closing the door on NFL free agent QB Kyler Murray (The Athletic)

• The funk that gave Bo Bichette the confidence to tackle third base challenge (NY Post)

• What tier do the Mets belong in in 2026? (MLB.com)

---

Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

In the latest episode of The Just Mets Podcast, Rich and Andrew react to six big spring training headlines and share an exciting update about the future of the podcast.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

---

Today’s Game 🏝️

Match-up: Mets (5-3) at Nationals (5-3)

Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches - West Palm Beach, FL

Starters: RHP Justin Hagenman (0-0, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

When: 1:05 PM EDT

Where to Watch: MLB TV

---

The Mets could have two breakout candidates in Benge and Scott ✍️

With the World Baseball Classic now officially underway after a series of exhibition tune-ups, there is no doubt that spring training games will start to take a back seat for fans.

However, as far as the Mets are concerned, these Grapefruit League contests still hold a lot of importance in terms of roster battles and getting ready for Opening Day.

And, for two potential breakout candidates in Carson Benge and Christian Scott, the next few weeks represent a huge, golden opportunity.

Let’s start with Benge.

Ever since president of baseball operations David Stearns made it clear that Benge would have every chance to make the Opening Day roster, the spotlight and the onus has been on the outfielder to impress this spring.

So far, he’s done exactly that.

Not only has he looked solid in the outfield, while making some impressive plays, Benge has also caught the eye with some mature and gritty at-bats. His ability to battle back from 0-2 counts and stay in the fight has been impressive, as has his overall patience approach.

It can’t be easy for a prospect coming into camp knowing that all eyes are on him, especially with a job in the majors hanging in the balance, but Benge has continued to make all the right moves throughout the opening weeks of spring training, while comporting himself with the air of a seasoned veteran.

Corey Sipkin - NY Post

And Benge stayed aggressive and on the front foot in his latest chance to catch the eye on Wednesday. Facing Israel in a pre-WBC warmup game, the outfielder, behind 1-2 in the count, hit an opposite-field solo home run to give the Mets an early lead in the bottom of the third inning. The fact that Benge was able to drill a fastball from a lefty a Statcast-projected 350 feet over the left-field wall further illustrates the prospect’s dangerous potential at the plate. He is 4-for-13 in Grapefruit League play, which doesn’t include his performance in exhibition play against the WBC teams.

At this point, it’s fair to say Benge has made a strong case to make the team, at least so far. Yes, both MJ Melendez and Mike Tauchman have had their moments, but Benge is the future, and he’s shown enough so far in camp to suggest that he is ready for the challenge of Major League Baseball. I mean, it is hard not to be blown away by Benge’s quality at-bats, his plate discipline, and his ability to put the ball in play and drive the baseball to all fields. He’s also shown promise defensively, too. And the fact that he looks comfortable against lefties is just another reason why the hype around Benge is genuine.

While Benge is the obvious breakout candidate going into the 2026 season, another potential wild-card could also be emerging. Christian Scott entered spring training as very much the forgotten man in Mets camp. And for good reason. After all, he hadn’t pitched since July, 2024 after missing the entire 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. That came after just a brief cup of coffee in the majors. So it is probably not unreasonable to suggest that Scott wasn’t on the mind of most Mets fans when it came to pitchers who could make an impact in 2026.

Well, maybe that could change now.

Corey Sipkin - NY Post

Following an impressive start to camp, Scott finally got the moment he had been waiting over a year for on Wednesday. Stepping onto the mound in a game environment for the first time since July 24, the righty looked like he had never been away. He was in complete control from the start, allowing just two hits while striking out five across 2 2/3 encouraging innings.

Scott was able to overcome a walk and a stolen base in the fourth inning, before striking out two in the fifth, and then retiring the final two batters he faced in the sixth. It was a dominant outing that featured a couple of notable highlights, including a fastball that reached 96 mph and the kind of command that could make Scott a real weapon in the rotation at some point in 2026.

The 26-year-old threw 40 of his 50 pitches for strikes, while using every pitch in his arsenal. His fastball was the star of the show, but Scott’s usage of his secondary pitches suggests a pitcher who’s incredibly confident in his own arsenal. For what was his first game in a hot minute, Scott didn’t look out of place. This was probably the most impressive part about his outing considering it had been a long time since he faced true competition, and it’s always difficult for pitchers who have had that surgery to show consistent command in the early phases of their return to play.

Granted, it is more than likely that Scott will begin the season down in Triple-A. However, baseball is a grueling marathon, not a sprint, and pitchers with Scott’s talent and high ceiling don’t exactly grow on palm trees (excuse the lame spring training pun). Therefore, if he can continue to build up his pitch count and show no signs of regression for the remainder of camp, then it is feasible that there could be a big role to play for Scott for the Mets at some point in 2026. Whether that’s as a starter who helps to solidify the backend of the rotation, or as a multi-innings reliever with filthy stuff remains to be seen, but it is clear that Scott has the tools needed to be an impact pitcher in the major leagues.

All in all, the Mets will need standout performers to emerge in a season with plenty of upside, but also a lot of question marks. And, while still early in spring training, both Benge and Scott have shown flashes that maybe they could become big-time contributors at the big league level in 2026.

---

Around the League 🚩

• Reds RHP Hunter Greene will undergo an MRI after experiencing stiffness in his right elbow (MLB.com)

• Guardians prospect Travis Bazzana hit a solo home run as Australia beat Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the opening game of the WBC

• Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. hit a leadoff home run against Garrett Crochet in a 4-0 win over the Red Sox

• OF Aaron Judge hit a monster home run that nearly cleared the concourse as Team USA put up 14 runs against the Rockies