An undrafted outfielder who has dominated independent minor league basepaths for the past two years is being considered by the New York Mets.
Outfielder JT Benson signed a contract with the Mets, the Lake Country DockHounds revealed on social media on Thursday.
Benson will probably go to the team’s minor league spring training camp before being assigned to an affiliated club for the 2026 season; the Mets have not yet made the contract public.
In 80 games in 2025, Benson, 23, scored.295/.412/.477 for the independent Frontier League’s Evansville Otters. In 26 attempts, he stole 24 bases.
After an outstanding collegiate career at Louisville, Benson signed with Lake Country of the independent American Association in 2024. In 27 games with the DockHounds, he slashed.286/.385/.418. In May 2025, he was traded to Evansville for an unnamed player.
With 34 stolen bases during the regular season, Benson led the ACC and finished ninth nationally in his final year of college with the Cardinals. Despite hitting, he was not drafted.302 with a career-high 13 doubles, 9 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 52 runs scored.
In two ACC Championship pool play games, Benson finished his college career 5-for-7 with two home runs and five runs.
