Benge, 23, is 4-for-13 in Grapefruit League play with a stolen base as he tries to win the starting job in right field. (While his homer won’t be part of the spring training stats, his showing could still make an impression on Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns.)

Peterson struck out four, gave up one hit and walked two while throwing 28 of 48 pitches for strikes. It was his first action since going 9-6 with a 4.22 ERA over 30 starts in 2025.

“I think we’re just trying to kind of work everything,” Peterson told reporters after his outing. “Work on some situations that we would in the games, some sequencing stuff and you know just trying to get all the pitches in.”

Christian Scott relieved Peterson and fanned five in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. Hoss Brewer recorded an out of the only batter he faced. Adbert Alzolay, attempting a return from injury, gave up a tying home run to Cardinals minor leaguer Zach Levenson in the seventh. Levenson hit 12 homers in 108 games between Double-A and High-A last year.

Nick Burdi gave up a go-ahead run in the eighth on a double to RJ Schreck, a 25-year-old outfielder in the Blue Jays organization who hit 18 home runs across four levels last season.

But Bae put the Mets ahead 3-2 with his hit and scored when Jacob Reimer singled him home for an insurance run. Yohairo Cuevas added an RBI single as well to make it a four-run rally. There was some bad news: most of the damage was done against Met prospect Jordan Geber.

Mets prospect Ben Simon started for Israel and fared better, throwing a scoreless inning. The Mets selected Simon in the 13th round of the 2023 draft out of Elon University in North Carolina and he struck out 60 in 54 1/3 innings combined at Double-A Binghamton and High-A Brooklyn last year while pitching to a 2.98 ERA.

Carson Benge. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Notes

• Benge’s homer was off Ryan Prager, a Guardians ninth-round draft pick in 2025;
• Ryan Clifford (1-for-3) doubled;
• Joey Gerber gave up a hit, a walk and recorded two outs in the ninth. Saul Garcia entered with the tying run at the plate and got a strikeout to earn the save;
• Leadoff hitter A.J. Ewing was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout, Marcus Semien was 0-for-2 with a strikeout and Luis Torrens was 0-for-2.

Player of the Game

Benge hit 15 homers across three minor-league levels last season while slashing .281/.385/.472.

On Deck

The Mets resume Thursday with regular spring training games at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. New York will play the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. ET. Justin Hagenman (4.56 ERA in 23 2/3 innings pitched in 2025) gets the start.

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Juan Soto made a surprise visit to an Amazin’ Mets Foundation event at the Mets Academy in the Dominican Republic, offering new equipment to over 40 local baseball and softball teams. Soto spent time meeting with and taking pictures with boys and girls from these teams, making an impact in the community he’s from. Soto’s love for his home country runs deep, and he’s stated in the past he hopes to represent them in the World Baseball Classic in the future.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Mets reliever Adbert Alzolay will be joining the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League later this month. Alzolay missed the entire 2025 season and was a dominant closer with the Cubs as recently as 2023.

Fitch Ratings, a credit rating agency, upgraded their rating for Citi Field’s PILOT and rental bonds from “BBB” to “A-” suggesting a high credit quality.

Latest MLB News

Munetaka Murakami, one of the premier bats in Nippon Professional Baseball, was posted on Friday for MLB free agency. The 25-year-old slugger will have until 5:00 p.m. ET on December 22 to choose a team to sign with.

The Rockies officially announced that they hired Paul DePodesta as their president of baseball operations.

MLB Trade Rumors posted their free agency predictions for this offseason.

Latest on MMO

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki profiles reliever Brad Keller as a potential free agent target for the Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

2010: Speaking of Paul DePodesta, he was hired by Sandy Alderson and the Mets as the vice president of player development and scouting on this day 15 years ago.

Born on This Date: Edgardo Alfonzo (1973), Shane Halter (1969), José Offerman (1968), Ed Kranepool (1944).

The post Morning Briefing: Juan Soto Gives Back to Dominican Community appeared first on Metsmerized.

Chicago signed Alzolay as an amateur free agent in 2012 and made his major league debut in 2019. The Cubs were still trying to use him as a starter as recently as 2021, where he pitched in 29 games, making 21 starts. That year he tossed 125 1/3 innings with a 4.58 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 1.162 WHIP and a 92 ERA+. He then missed most of 2022 with a shoulder and lat injury.

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Alzolay had a breakout campaign in 2023. Over 64 innings and 58 games, he had a 2.67 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.016 WHIP and a 160 ERA+. The Cubs moved him to the back of the bullpen, and he seized the opportunity, saving 22 games. Alzolay’s Baseball Savant page was filled with red. His fastball, averaging at 95.3 mph, was in the 73rd percentile, and his 3.61xERA was in the 74th percentile. His 5.1% BB% was in the 92nd percentile. Hitters were barreling him only 6% of the time (81st percentile). Pitch tracking credited him for throwing six different pitches in 2023:

• Slider (avg 87.5 mph) 45.1%
• Four Seamer (avg 95.3 mph) 20.7%
• Sinker (avg 95.3 mph) 19.3%
• Cutter (avg 91.1 mph) 10%
• Sweeper (avg 82.6 mph) 4.4%
• Changeup (avg 87.8 mph) 0.5%

However, 2024 was a different story for the right-hander before injury. Over 17 1/3 innings, he allowed 13 runs, nine earned, on 19 hits and six walks. It’s a small sample size, but his WHIP ballooned in 2024. Compared to his career 1.157 WHIP, Alzolay pitched to a 1.442 WHIP in 2024. His FIP was also sky-high at 7.38 (career 4.30).

Rehab schedules from Tommy John surgery have become highly regimented over the last few years. Plenty of players have bounced back from the surgery well. That said, it’s always a mystery what a player looks like after the surgery. There’s a chance he can make a few appearances in September, but with an arm like Alzolay, the Mets might not want to rush his progress.

2026 will tell what the Mets do with his arsenal. The Mets have taken pitchers with large pitch arsenals over the year and highlighted their most successful pitches to remake their profile on the field. The team found success in a similar approach with Reed Garrett, who dominated hitters with his split finger in 2024.

The post 2025 NRI Preview: Adbert Alzolay, RHP appeared first on Metsmerized.

Alzolay came up to the majors as a starter, but the Cubs shifted him to the bullpen in 2022, and in 2023, he became the team’s closer. Alzolay finished 2023 with a strong 2.67 ERA and 22 saves to go along with 67 strikeouts against 13 walks, while only allowing five homers in 64 innings. However, Alzolay struggled out of the gate in 2024, blowing four of his first seven save opportunities before losing the closer’s role. At the time he was placed on the injured list in May, he had a 4.67 ERA and had given up six homers in 17 1/3 innings. Chicago non-tendered him following the season.

Alzolay’s best pitch in 2023 was his slider, which he used 45% of the time. The pitch registered a plus-10 run value and a 40.6% whiff rate. He averaged 95.3 miles per hour on both his four-seam fastball and sinker and occasionally mixed in a sweeper and cutter.

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