The biggest Mets takeaway today is simple: the kids are kicking the damn door in. Carson Benge made the Opening Day roster and will start in right field, while Craig Kimbrel did not make the club and Sean Manaea is opening the year in the bullpen. That tells you exactly where this team is right now, upside first, nostalgia second.
Quick Hitters
- Carson Benge is in. The Mets officially put their No. 16 overall prospect on the Opening Day roster after a huge spring, and Carlos Mendoza made it clear this was earned, not gifted.
- Craig Kimbrel is out, for now. He did not make the Opening Day roster after a shaky spring, though he’s staying with the organization and trying to work his way back.
- Sean Manaea starts the season in relief. The Mets are using schedule flexibility to delay the sixth-starter decision, which means Manaea opens in the bullpen while continuing to stretch out.
- Opening Day is set. Freddy Peralta gets the ball for the Mets against Paul Skenes and the Pirates on Thursday, March 26 at Citi Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET.
- Final spring result: the Mets closed camp with a 4-3 loss to Miami on Sunday, finishing with a reminder that spring results matter less than spring answers. They got a few of those.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Miami Marlins | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
Brett Baty added an RBI single during the Mets’ three-run burst.
Jorge Polanco chipped in with a sacrifice fly.
What actually changed
The biggest development is Benge going from intriguing spring storyline to actual Opening Day starter. He hit his way into the job, defended well enough to help justify Juan Soto’s move to left, and gives the Mets a more athletic, higher-upside alignment heading into Thursday.
The second change is how the Mets are handling the pitching staff. Manaea opening in the bullpen is not some cute experiment. It’s a roster timing play. The club can roll with Peralta, Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga before needing a sixth starter, buying Manaea time while preserving flexibility.
Kimbrel missing the roster matters, too. Not because he was guaranteed anything, but because it confirms the Mets didn’t hand out innings based on a baseball card from 2018. Revolutionary concept.
Analytics snapshot
Benge’s spring case was not built on empty batting average fluff. MLB reported he recovered from an 0-for-5 start to hit .417 the rest of the way in Grapefruit League play, and the Mets valued his arm enough to shift Soto to left field to make the defense work. That is not accidental roster geometry. That is a team choosing range, arm strength, and youth over safer but lower-ceiling options.
The risk side lives with Manaea. His spring ERA sat at 3.72, but his average fastball was 88.6 mph, down sharply from prior healthy levels. That velocity drop is the stat that matters here, not the ERA. The Mets are basically saying, “we can carry this for now, but we’re not betting the first turn through the rotation on vibes.” Fair.
Why this matters for Mets fans
This team is acting like it wants impact now, not just respectable depth-chart handwriting. Benge making it gives the lineup more juice, more athleticism, and another reason for pitchers to sweat through the bottom half of the order. Kimbrel getting left off says the Mets are at least pretending merit matters. Manaea in the bullpen says they’re willing to manage April like adults instead of forcing roles just because the calendar says so.
Roster and watchlist implications
Watch these three:
- Carson Benge: now the main character, not the teaser trailer.
- Sean Manaea: bullpen role for now, rotation implications later.
- Craig Kimbrel: still in the orbit, but no longer in the immediate picture.
What’s next
Opening Day is Thursday at Citi Field, Mets vs. Pirates. Freddy Peralta gets the start for New York against Paul Skenes in what should be one of the nastier pitching matchups on the entire Opening Day slate. That one starts at 1:15 p.m. ET.
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