Elizabeth Benn, highest-ranking woman in Mets front office history, will leave organization

Elizabeth Benn, the highest-ranking woman to ever work in the Mets’ baseball operations department, will depart the organization at the end of the season.

At a time when first-year president of baseball operations David Stearns is beginning to restructure the department, the highly regarded Benn, the team’s director of major league operations, will leave to pursue other opportunities. Mets employees learned the news in an internal communication Monday morning.

Benn, via text message, politely declined comment.

Benn’s arrival in 2022 under then-GM Billy Eppler made headlines for its history-making aspect, but co-workers and colleagues outside the organization recognized her for her skills and communication style. Benn quickly became a favorite of then-manager Buck Showalter, who invited her to high-level meetings.

Longtime Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman, who has known Benn for years and refers to women in baseball as a “close-knit fraternity,” is bullish on Benn’s future in the game.

Referring to Benn’s previous experience working for Major League Baseball and her continued participation as a pitcher in the New York City Metro Baseball League, Afterman says, “The fact that she’s a ballplayer and understands the on-field dynamics, she understands the front office dynamics, and she understands the dynamics at the Commissioner’s office — it makes her a triple threat. She’s very conscientious, and would be an asset to any club.”

Front office turnover is standard for any organization under new leadership, a process that typically accelerates in August and September. Several veteran scouts and the director of international scouting have already left or been dismissed. As Stearns told SNY last week, he is still deciding whether to conduct a search for a general manager.

Benn will finish the season in her current role.