CLEARWATER, Fla. – The wholly unexpected Braves roster push by outfielder Joe Benson, once so improbable, has become legitimate and was further strengthened Wednesday with the thick-armed journeyman’s opposite-field homer off Phillies ace Cole Hamels.
Benson, 27, who wasn’t even invited to big-league spring training, last played in the majors in 2011, and spent most of 2014 with the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate, has become a serious candidate for a major league bench job. Perhaps even the favorite.
“He barreled two balls,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Benson, referring to the right-handed hitter’s second-inning homer and a flyball in the fourth. “The center fielder made a terrific play on a ball that I thought had beat him, the one to right-center field. But he had a really nice swing on the home run, opposite field.”
Benson and Todd Cunningham are the last remaining candidates with center-field experience after Eury Perez was optioned to Triple-A. Barring a trade or waiver claim, it appears one will join corner outfielder/infielder Kelly Johnson as outfield backups, with Johnson perhaps playing in a “soft platoon” with left fielder Jonny Gomes.
What makes this Benson matter so remarkable is that he isn’t technically even a part of Braves major league spring training, other than being brought over from minor league camp to play in games – originally as a late-innings extra, but Wednesday as a starter in center field.
Benson signed a minor league contract and reported to minor league camp. He made enough of an impression when brought over to play a couple of Grapefruit League games that he kept getting brought back, and in just 12 official at-bats, plus pinch-running and defensive appearances, he’s put himself in the running for the opening day roster.
He’s 3-for-12 with three walks, four strikeouts, one extra-base hit and two RBIs.
“He’s in the mix,” Gonzalez said. “He hasn’t done anything not to be in the mix. Played solid center field, you trust him out there, makes good routes. Shoot, if he can have at-bats like that against Cole Hamels….”
Hamels, who is 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA in his past 18 regular-season starts against the Braves, limited them to six hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings Wednesday.
Besides Benson and Cunningham, who’s hit .318 (14-for-43) with two doubles, seven walks and 11 strikeouts this spring, the only other backup center-field option currently in camp is utility infielder Phil Gosselin, who’s had limited work recently in center. He could play the position in an emergency, but not for several games or more if something happened to Young.
Once a big-time high school running back, Benson was set to play football at Purdue before opting to sign with the Twins after they selected him in the second round of the 2006 draft.
Benson was a top prospect — he had 27 homers and 19 stolen bases in 123 games in Single-A and Double-A in 2010 — before injuries slowed his career. He spent most of nine seasons in the minor leagues, including parts of eight in the Twins organization before going to the Rangers on waivers in May 2013 and spending 2014 in the Marlins system.
Benson hit .259 with a .361 OBP, 10 homers and 15 stolen bases in 129 games (507 at-bats) last season, including 124 games at Double-A Jacksonville.
His only major league callup was with the Twins in 2011, when he was 17-for-71 (.239) with seven extra-base hits in 21 games, including 19 starts in the outfield (10 in left, seven in right, two in center).
Benson has a .254 average, .347 OBP and 85 home runs in more than 3,500 career plate appearances in the minors, along with 43 triples and 130 stolen bases in 861 games.
