Will Benson Bio
William Buchanan Benson (born June 16, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Guardians after being selected by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft. Benson made his MLB debut in 2022 and has been recognized for his power-speed combination as a corner outfielder.
Standing out as one of the most physically gifted athletes of his draft class, Benson has built his career on raw power and athleticism. He remains active in Major League Baseball as a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization, where he continues to develop his offensive game.
Early Life and Background
Will Benson was born on June 16, 1998, and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area, where he attended The Westminster Schools. He grew up in a sports-oriented household, and his father, Ted, played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers. Benson also has a mother and a sister, and he had an older brother, Theodore Charles, who died as a young child after being hit by a school bus.
From a young age, Benson distinguished himself as a multi-sport athlete. Before being drafted, he had committed to attend Duke University, where he planned to walk on to the Duke Blue Devils basketball team. He was widely regarded for his rare combination of size, speed, and power, which made him one of the most sought-after amateur players in the country.
His path to professional baseball was solidified when the Cleveland Indians selected him in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft. Rather than attend Duke, Benson signed with Cleveland for a $2.5 million signing bonus, choosing to begin his professional career immediately. He had also represented the United States on the national under-18 team that won the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup.
Path to Major League Baseball
Following his draft selection in 2016, Benson began his climb through the Cleveland minor league system. He made his professional debut that same year with the Rookie-level Arizona League Indians, batting .209 with six home runs and 27 runs batted in during 44 games. In 2017, he moved up to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Low-A New York–Penn League, where he batted .238 with ten home runs and 36 runs batted in over 56 games.
In 2018, Benson joined the Lake County Captains of the Single-A South Atlantic League and hit .180 with 22 home runs and 58 runs batted in during 123 games. He returned to Lake County to open 2019 and on April 18 of that season hit four home runs in a single game, announcing his elite power potential. After batting .272 with 18 home runs and 55 runs batted in over 62 games, he was promoted to the Lynchburg Hillcats of the High-A Carolina League in June 2019, though his production fell off there.
After a difficult 2019 stretch, Benson briefly considered quitting baseball, but he returned to competition in July 2020 with Team Texas of the Constellation Energy League, a makeshift independent league created during the COVID-19 pandemic. He began 2021 with the Akron RubberDucks of the Double-A Northeast before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in August 2021. He batted .279 across 89 Triple-A games in 2022, which led to his eventual call-up to the majors by the Cleveland Guardians.
Will Benson Career
Early Career (2016–2020)
Benson’s first five professional seasons were a mix of raw power displays and growing pains. He was widely viewed as a high-upside prospect whose strikeouts and inconsistencies kept him from moving quickly through the system. His brief stint in the Constellation Energy League in 2020, where he batted .143 in 24 games, served as a transitional moment as he worked to refine his approach.
His standout minor league moment came on April 18, 2019, when he hit four home runs in a single game for the Lake County Captains. Despite uneven batting averages, his power output drew the attention of Cleveland’s front office and kept him firmly on the prospect map.
Cleveland Indians / Guardians Era (2022)
Benson was called up by the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 after batting .279 in 89 Triple-A games for the Columbus Clippers. The Guardians selected his contract on August 1, and on August 10 he collected his first career hit, an RBI single off Drew Hutchison of the Detroit Tigers. Over the remainder of the season, he batted .182 while striking out 19 times in 61 plate appearances.
Cincinnati Reds Era (2023–Present)
Benson was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on February 8, 2023, in a deal that sent minor league outfielder Justin Boyd and pitcher Steve Hajjar to Cleveland. He began the 2023 season with the Reds but was briefly demoted to the Louisville Bats after managing just one hit in eight games. He returned to the majors in strong fashion, hitting his first career home run on June 7 in dramatic fashion, a walk-off against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Across 108 games for Cincinnati in 2023, he batted .275/.365/.498 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.
In 2024, Benson played 128 games for Cincinnati, slashing .187/.274/.376 with 14 home runs, 43 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. He struggled with strikeouts, fanning in nearly 40 percent of his plate appearances, a significant jump from 31 percent the previous year. Despite the inconsistencies, he remained a regular in the Reds outfield.
Benson was optioned to Triple-A Louisville to open the 2025 season. He was briefly called up to Cincinnati from April 8 to 12 and again starting May 9. From May 15 to 18, he homered in four consecutive games, all Reds victories. His hot stretch earned him the National League Player of the Week award for the eighth week of the season after going 10-for-19 (.526) with five home runs and 10 RBI. He was the first Red to win the award since Rece Hinds the previous July. After a return to the minors in August, he was promoted back to Cincinnati when the team designated Jake Fraley for assignment.
Driving Style and Strengths
Benson is a power-over-hit corner outfielder whose game is built on his size, bat speed, and above-average raw power to all fields. Defensively, he plays with a strong arm in right field, and he has shown improved plate discipline when limiting his chase rate against off-speed pitches. His baserunning has been an underappreciated element of his profile, as he has demonstrated the speed to swipe double-digit bags in full seasons.
Notable Events and Milestones
Benson’s signature MLB moment to date came on June 7, 2023, when he delivered a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers for his first major league long ball. He also produced one of the most explosive weeks of any Red in 2025, homering in four straight games and earning National League Player of the Week honors.
Will Benson Career Wins
Will Benson has not yet been credited with a Major League Baseball pitching win. As a position player, his victories are measured in offensive milestones, including his 11-homer rookie Reds campaign in 2023, his walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his 2025 National League Player of the Week award.
Cincinnati Reds Highlights
Benson’s most productive MLB season came in 2023, when he batted .275/.365/.498 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and 19 stolen bases across 108 games. His 2024 campaign saw 14 home runs, 43 RBI, and 16 stolen bases in 128 games, although his batting average dipped to .187. His early 2025 tear, highlighted by homers in four consecutive games and a National League Player of the Week selection, marked one of the strongest weeks of his major league career.
Other Wins and Performances
At the international level, Benson played for the United States team that won the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup. In the minor leagues, his most famous single-game performance came on April 18, 2019, when he hit four home runs in one game for the Lake County Captains.
Will Benson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Will Benson’s father, Ted, played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers, giving Will a strong athletic pedigree. Benson also has a mother and a sister, and he had an older brother, Theodore Charles, who passed away as a five-year-old after being hit by a school bus.
Personal Life
Benson and his wife, Lindsey, have a son. He has been friends since childhood with MLB player Xzavion Curry, and he enjoys playing chess, often challenging former teammates Steven Kwan and Joey Votto. Before signing with Cleveland in 2016, Benson planned to walk on to the Duke Blue Devils basketball team, a path he chose to forgo in favor of professional baseball.
2025 Season Performance
Will Benson opened the 2025 season with Triple-A Louisville after working to refine his approach against major league pitching. The Reds called him up briefly in April, then brought him back to the majors on May 9, when he launched into one of the most productive stretches of his career. From May 15 to 18, he homered in four consecutive games, all Reds wins, before earning National League Player of the Week honors for the eighth week of the season.
After his May surge, Benson was returned to Triple-A in August, where he continued to log at-bats while the Reds sorted out their outfield picture. When the team designated Jake Fraley for assignment, Cincinnati promoted Benson back to the big league roster, signaling that he remained part of the team’s long-term outfield plans.
Looking ahead, Benson’s 2025 outlook will hinge on cutting into his strikeout rate, which approached 40 percent during his 2024 campaign. If he can pair his elite raw power with more consistent contact, he profiles as a middle-of-the-order run producer for the Cincinnati Reds.