After a quiet showing from an offensive point of view Saturday against the Miami Marlins, the New York Mets flipped the switch Sunday. They hit four home runs in a 6-4 win over the New York Yankees, with the dagger being a three-run shot from JT Schwartz.
But the scoring started with a solo home run from Jared Young off Luis Gil in the top of the second inning. He connected with an elevated fastball and put it into the seats in right field.
Jared Young – Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
A majority of the Mets’ position player slots are all but confirmed. However, there are a few guys on the bubble, one of whom is Young, fighting for a fourth outfield spot. That group includes MJ Melendez, Mike Tauchman and Cristian Pache, among others. Both Young and Melendez are on the 40-man roster and have one minor league option left. It will be interesting to see what kind of factor the option plays in the team’s decision on Opening Day.
Young had 47 plate appearances at the big league level in 2025, slashing .186/.234/.488 and a 99 OPS+. Five of his eight hits were for extra bases, including four home runs. All of Young’s 13 starts last season came as a DH, although he can play a few different positions. Most of his time with Triple-A Syracuse was spent at first base or left field.
Carson Benge made his first appearance of the spring Sunday, going 0-for-3, including two groundouts. Unlike Young, Benge is competing for a starting role in right field with the club after Juan Soto‘s shift to left. With so much attention on him, it will be fascinating to see how he performs against big league pitching. If the team decided to start him in the minors to open 2026, Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor, Melendez and Tauchman would play for that starting spot.
The Mets are back in action Monday, facing the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida. Clay Holmes will get the start, as he prepares to pitch for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. Tobias Myers is also expected to make his Mets debut in relief.
