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With the 20th overall pick, the Blue Jays could select… Carson Benge?
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Photo credit: © Mitch Alcala -The Oklahoman/USA Today
Ryley Delaney
Jul 5, 2024, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 22, 2024, 23:23 EDT
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Who doesn’t love two way players?
In a little over a week, the 2024 MLB draft is set to take place, with the Blue Jays picking 20th-overall for the second consecutive season. They’ll also pick again on the first day, as they have the 59th-overall pick. Rounding out the top five rounds, they have picked 95, 125, 136, and 158.
Overall, the Blue Jays have a signing bonus pool of $8,987,000 which is used to pick players from the first 10 rounds, or with their first 11 picks. Players selected in rounds 11-20 can sign up to $150,000 before counting towards the pool.
In this article, we’ll take a look at one of the most intriguing players in the draft, Carson Benge.

Carson Benge’s bio

Carson Benge is a 6’1”, 184 lbs outfielder/relief pitcher who is a junior at Oklahoma State University. He ranks as MLB Pipeline’s 18th-best prospect, right in range for the Blue Jays to select him.
The Blue Jays have one of Benge’s former teammates in the organization, as they selected Juaron Watts-Brown from Oklahoma State in the third-round of last season’s draft. The season prior, they signed Kale Davis, but he didn’t sign. Prior to that, the last time they drafted a player from the school was all the way back in 2001 when they selected Darren Heal in the 22nd-round.

Carson Benge’s stats

Missing the 2022 season with Tommy John surgery, Benge started his collegiate career in 2023, where he slashed .345/.468/.538 with seven homers in 248 plate appearances. To go along with that, he pitched 35 innings, starting in all 10 games, and posting a 6.69 ERA, along with a 21 K% and a 14.4 BB%.
His 2024 season went much better, slashing .335/.444/.665 with a career-best 18 homers in 304 plate appearances, along with a 16.8 K% and a 16.1 BB%. Benge mainly pitched out of the bullpen, posting a 3.16 ERA with a 28.2 K% and a 7 BB% in 37 innings pitched.

Carson Benge’s tools

MLB Pipeline’s scouting report notes that he’s a first-round pick with the bat and a third-round pick as a pitcher, so there’s a chance he could develop as a two-way player after he’s selected.
As a hitter, he is a good hitter who can make contact while also ripping the ball with high exit velocities. Benge has a good eye at the plate, and has solid bat speed mixed with a good hit tool.
He’s a quick runner and has a plus arm, as one could imagine. Benge has hit 96 mph with the fastball and features a slider and a changeup with average control, especially out of the bullpen. It’s worth noting that he prefers to hit, so his pitching career may be finished.

Carson Benge’s grades

As always, we’ll look at his grades according to MLB Pipeline.
Tool
Grade
Hit
55
Power
55
Run
50
Arm
60
Field
55
Overall
55
Unfortunately, the site doesn’t have his pitching grades, but there’s a strong likelihood that he will become a full-time outfielder, rather than a two-way player like he was in college.

Will the Blue Jays select Carson Benge

The Blue Jays’ outfield depth in the organization has improved in recent seasons, but aside from Alan Roden, they don’t have an outfielder in the upper-minors with high potential.
Benge would change that though. The hit tool is above average, and he can also hit for power. The 21-year-old has a strong arm and pairs that with good fielding ability and average speed. He’s not quite a five-tool player, but all his tools are average or better, which could make him the best player available when the Blue Jays pick 20th.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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