Mets to promote top prospect A.J. Ewing, source says
Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing makes a catch during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Feb. 25 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
The Mets are scrambling, and they’re calling in their young reinforcements.
The worst team in baseball is fast-tracking its farmhand talent, and calling up prospect A.J. Ewing, a source confirmed Monday. The lefthanded Ewing, 21, an outfielder, began last year in low-A Port St. Lucie before moving up to Double-A, and was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in late April.
Along the way, the speedster has had back-to-back seasons hitting over .300 at all levels. Since getting shipped to Syracuse, he’s slashing .326/.392/.435 in 12 games; across Double- and Triple-A this year, he has 17 stolen bases in 30 games, with 13 extra-base hits, 22 walks and 20 strikeouts.
Ewing can also play second base, though with Luis Robert Jr.’s lingering back injury, he’s likely to stick to the outfield.
“I think he’s progressed fast at this point in his career and I think he’s demonstrated he can master levels pretty quickly, so I wouldn’t put anything past him,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said late last month. “He’s done a great job. He’s met every challenge so far and we’re going to continue to challenge him.”
Added another front office source: “He’s someone on everyone’s radar.”
Ewing is a contact hitter who can go to all fields, who makes good swing decisions, takes walks and knows how to put the ball in play in his time in the minors; he also has an OPS of .961 this year.
“He’s a ballplayer,” Carlos Mendoza said during Ewing’s successful spring training. “There’s a lot of different ways he can help a baseball team win a baseball game, right? Whether it’s the way he plays defense, the way he runs the bases, good at bats, puts the ball in play, drives the ball — he’s another kid that I don’t think people talk much about him, but he’s another good one.”
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
