The New York Mets plan to bring up promising young outfielder A.J. Ewing from their Triple-A affiliate before Tuesday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers at home, multiple sources reported Monday.
The 21-year-old has impressed at two minor league levels this season. At Double-A Binghamton earlier this year, Ewing posted a .349 batting average across 18 contests, recording two home runs, seven runs batted in, and 12 stolen bases. After earning advancement to Triple-A Syracuse, he maintained strong performance with a .326 average through 12 games, adding four RBIs and five steals without a home run.
The Mets selected Ewing in the fourth round of the 2023 amateur draft. Throughout his four-year minor league career spanning five different Mets farm teams, he has compiled a .290 batting average while accumulating 101 stolen bases, 15 home runs, and 118 RBIs. His speed particularly stood out last season when he swiped 70 bases. This year, multiple prospect evaluation services recognized his talent, with Baseball America ranking him 83rd among top prospects, MLB.com placing him 97th, and Baseball Prospectus rating him 38th nationally.
Defensively, Ewing has demonstrated versatility by playing all outfield positions during his minor league tenure, though center field has been his primary spot with 150 total games and 145 starts there. He has also gained experience at second base, appearing in 53 games at that position.
The promotion comes at a crucial time for New York, which has endured a disappointing start to the season. Key injuries to Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. have contributed to the team’s struggles. As of Monday, the Mets owned baseball’s poorest record at 15-25 and trailed the division-leading Atlanta Braves by 12.5 games in the National League East standings. Their offensive production has been particularly concerning, ranking 29th in both runs scored with 139 and batting average at .222, while posting the league’s worst slugging percentage at .341.
