Considering the way last season unfolded and the way the Mets folded — a clubhouse that did not prove to be a strength could not help the club avert a $340 million, playoff-less fiasco — onlookers will be paying close attention to signs of unity or discord around this year’s team.
An early sign that offers some hope, then, is how often Juan Soto and Carson Benge are around each other.
Their lockers are nearby, in the far corner of the clubhouse at Citi Field. They have several handshakes that are still a work in progress — “We’re trying to figure out the best one,” Soto said. And after Benge’s first major league home run, it was Soto waiting at the end of a dugout high-five line not with a handshake but with a big hug.
All spring, Benge said, it felt as if Soto had taken him under his wing. That feeling has transitioned as the season has begun for a player who is now less a prospect and more a major leaguer just trying to help the Mets win.
