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. Benson was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft out of high school and made his MLB debut in 2022. A power-hitting corner outfielder, he has become a regular contributor in the Reds lineup since being traded to Cincinnati in 2023.
Early Life and Background
William Buchanan Benson was born on June 16, 1998, in the United States. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended The Westminster Schools and developed into one of the top high school baseball prospects in the country. His father, Ted Benson, played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers, giving Will an early grounding in competitive sports beyond baseball. Benson also has a mother and sister, and he has spoken about an older brother, Theodore Charles, who died as a child after being hit by a school bus.
As a teenager, Benson starred at Westminster and drew attention from both MLB scouts and college programs. He was committed to attend Duke University, where he planned to play college baseball and also walk on to the Duke Blue Devils basketball team. Before signing professionally, he also represented the United States in international competition, playing for the national under-18 team that won the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup in Osaka, Japan.
Path to Baseball
Benson’s amateur résumé made him a candidate for one of the top picks in the 2016 MLB draft. The Cleveland Indians selected him in the first round with the 14th overall selection out of The Westminster Schools. Rather than honor his college commitment, he signed with Cleveland for a $2.5 million signing bonus, beginning his professional career immediately.
That summer, he made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Indians, batting .209 with six home runs and 27 runs batted in across 44 games. The following year, he moved up to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Low-A New York-Penn League and hit .238 with ten home runs and 36 runs batted in. In 2018, he advanced to the Lake County Captains of the Single-A South Atlantic League, where a rough .180 average but a 22-homer, 58-RBI line across 123 games showed the raw power that defined his prospect profile.
Will Benson Career
Early Career (2016-2021)
Benson opened 2019 back at Lake County and put together a productive first half, hitting .272 with 18 home runs and 55 runs batted in across 62 games. On April 18, 2019, he hit four home runs in a single game, the kind of showcase performance that reinforced his offensive ceiling. A promotion to the Lynchburg Hillcats of the High-A Carolina League followed in June, though he batted just .189 the rest of the way, and after the season he briefly considered leaving the game.
During the canceled 2020 minor league season, Benson played for Team Texas of the Constellation Energy League, a makeshift independent circuit created during the COVID-19 pandemic, and batted .143 in 24 games. He returned to the Cleveland system in 2021, starting the year with the Double-A Akron RubberDucks and moving to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in August. In 2022 at Columbus, he hit .279 in 89 games, forcing the Guardians to give him a look at the next level.
Cleveland Guardians (2022)
The Cleveland Guardians selected Benson’s contract on August 1, 2022, bringing him to the majors for the first time. Nine days later, on August 10, he collected his first career hit, an RBI single off Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Hutchison. Across his debut stint, Benson batted .182 and struck out 19 times in 61 plate appearances, a small sample that hinted at both his contact issues and his future power potential.
Cincinnati Reds (2023-Present)
On February 8, 2023, the Reds acquired Benson from Cleveland in a trade for minor league outfielder Justin Boyd and pitcher Steve Hajjar. After a slow start that saw him demoted to the Louisville Bats, Benson delivered one of the highlights of his career on June 7, 2023, hitting a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers for his first major league homer. He finished 2023 playing 108 games for Cincinnati, batting .275/.365/.498 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.
In 2024, Benson played 128 games for the Reds and slashed .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 jump from 31 percent the year before. The Reds optioned him to Triple-A Louisville to begin 2025, but he was recalled on April 8, optioned again, and brought back on May 9. From May 15 to 18, he homered in four straight games, all Reds wins, and was named National League Player of the Week after going 10-for-19 with five home runs and 10 RBI in that stretch. He became the first Red to win the award since Rece Hinds the previous July.
Driving Style and Strengths
Benson fits the profile of a modern power-hitting corner outfielder whose game is built around bat speed, pull-side pop, and above-average raw strength. His game still centers on harnessing his strike-zone discipline, as his chase and whiff rates have at times limited his on-base production. When he is locked in, his combination of exit velocity and patience at the plate allows him to change games with one swing.
Notable Events and Milestones
His walk-off homer against the Dodgers on June 7, 2023, stands as his signature big-league moment so far, and his four-homer game at Lake County on April 18, 2019, remains a defining minor league feat. His 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup gold medal and his 14th-overall selection in the 2016 draft round out a résumé built on rare, high-impact events.
Will Benson Career Wins
Benson does not compete in a win-loss individual format, but his track record includes a gold medal at the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup with Team USA and steady production across the minor leagues and majors. The milestones below summarize the verified highlights of his career to date.
Cincinnati Reds Highlights
Across parts of three seasons with Cincinnati, Benson has been a regular presence in the outfield. In 2023, he batted .275/.365/.498 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 108 games, providing his first full major league platform. In 2024, he played 128 games and added 14 home runs, 43 RBI, and 16 stolen bases, and he entered 2025 having already been named National League Player of the Week after a four-game homer streak in mid-May.
Other Wins & Performances
Benson’s most notable pre-professional honor came with the United States under-18 national team that won the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup in Osaka. In the minors, he earned the New York-Penn League and Carolina League promotions on the strength of his power, and in 2019 he slugged four home runs in a single game for Lake County.
Will Benson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Benson comes from an athletic family. His father, Ted, played college basketball at Purdue, and his older brother, Theodore Charles, died as a five-year-old after being hit by a school bus. Benson also has a mother and sister, and he has remained close with childhood friend and fellow MLB player Xzavion Curry, who made his own MLB debut 14 days after Benson’s in 2022.
Personal Life
Benson and his wife, Lindsey, have a son. Off the field, he is known as an avid chess player and has played regularly with former teammates Steven Kwan and Joey Votto.
2025 Season Performance
Benson began 2025 with Triple-A Louisville but returned to Cincinnati on April 8 before being optioned again and recalled for good on May 9. He immediately made an impact, homering in four straight games from May 15 to 18, with all four coming in Reds victories. His .526 batting average, five home runs, and 10 RBI across that span earned him National League Player of the Week honors, the first Red to take that award since Rece Hinds the previous July.
After a brief August return to the minors, he was promoted back to Cincinnati when the team designated Jake Fraley for assignment, re-establishing him as part of the Reds’ outfield mix. His 2025 stat line through late May showed a .220 batting average with 39 home runs and 123 RBI across his major league career, underscoring the power Cincinnati is hoping to feature on a regular basis. With the Reds rebuilding around young talent, Benson enters the back half of 2025 looking to translate his weekly honors into a sustained run of production.
