The New York Mets are shaking things up in a big way, calling up top outfield prospect A.J. Ewing after just 12 games in Triple-A, according to a source familiar with the decision. The move comes as the team scrambles to ignite a lineup that's been sputtering all season.
Ewing, just 21 years old, will join the Mets before Tuesday night's series opener against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field. The speedy center fielder has been tearing it up at Syracuse, batting .326 with three doubles, a triple, and four RBIs in 51 plate appearances. He's also swiped five bags and scored nine runs, showing off the kind of electric play the Mets desperately need.
Ranked as New York's No. 2 prospect behind pitcher Jonah Tong by MLB.com, Ewing brings versatility and a left-handed bat to a team that's been hit hard by injuries. Opening-day center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is on the injured list with a lumbar spine disk herniation, and the Mets are also missing star shortstop Francisco Lindor and first baseman Jorge Polanco. With a 15-25 record—worst in the majors—and an offense near the bottom of nearly every key category, the Mets are hoping Ewing can provide a spark.
Ewing isn't just a center fielder; he's also played second base and both corner outfield spots. He climbed to Double-A Binghamton last year, hitting .339 in 28 games, and kept rolling this season with a .349 average, 1.053 OPS, and 12 steals in 18 games before his promotion to Syracuse.
Standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 160 pounds, the left-handed hitter was a fourth-round pick by the Mets in 2023 out of Springboro High School in Ohio. The club will need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for him Tuesday, but it's a small price to pay for a prospect who could bring some much-needed energy to Queens.
