The New York Mets could actually face a positive dilemma as spring training comes to an end. According to a former MLB general manager, one Met has turned the most heads in the game. Rookie AJ Ewing earned Bowden’s overwhelming praise in this article for The Athletic.
“Ewing was the Mets’ 2023 fourth-round selection out of high school. He played at three levels last season (Low A through Double A) and slashed an impressive .315/.401/.429 with 70 stolen bases.”
In modern baseball, power hitters reign supreme. However, the better teams also implement small ball. 70 steals matter. Not to mention, being caught only 11 times certifies him as a stolen-base threat. As a result, walking Ewing could result in a stolen double. Standing in scoring position means a base hit plates a run.
Additionally, Ewing’s speed easily allows him to go from first to third or score from first on a double. Furthermore, it will put pressure on opposing infielders to throw the ball sooner on grounders.
AJ Ewing is so so so so good pic.twitter.com/sekCpEc8Jf
— Tyler (@WardyNYM) March 19, 2026
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Ewing Role Expands After Blockbuster Trade
The Mets traded away top prospect Jett Williams to Milwaukee to obtain ace Freddy Peralta. Williams, like Ewing, is a speed-based talent with doubles power. Bowden feels like Ewing’s emergence made the trade easier.
GettyFormer Mets prospect Jett Williams
“He was one of the reasons the Mets felt comfortable dealing Jett Williams in the Freddy Peralta swap.” Williams, by all metrics, is not a player with 40-home run potential. Instead, he will go gap to gap. Ewing looks like a carbon copy. While he did hit ten home runs in 2023, those occurred in low-A/rookie ball. Ewing will not see non-moving fastballs.
A.J. Ewing lays out to make an incredible catch! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XKSlVjsIgx
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 7, 2026
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GM Offers Strong Endorsement
The 21-year-old earns praise from the man directly involved in roster construction. David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, sees a strong path for the prospect.
“A.J. has done a very nice job in his first major-league camp. He’s competed well on both sides of the ball, showing he can impact a game and help a team win in a variety of ways.”
A left-handed bat off the bench that could spell a starter all over the outfield and, in a pinch, second base. Speed plays in the outfield, where ball tracking and making solid decisions trump pure arm strength and assists. In contrast, Ewing tracks the ball and hits the cutoff. Again, not glamorous but necessary to win games for the Mets.
A.J. Ewing’s swing is beautiful. A fluid compact swing with quick hands through the zone pic.twitter.com/uSHXeJSSUS
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) March 19, 2026
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Early Numbers Problem Could See Ewing in AA
As an outfield, according to Sports Illustrated, the Mets will field a starting lineup, from left to right, of Juan Soto, Luis Robert Jr., and rookie Carson Benge. Following that, bench players Tyrone Taylor and Mike Tauchman round out the projected outfielder rotation. Where does this leave Ewing? Taylor plays an above-average defensive center fielder.
GettyMets outfielder Carson Benge.
Tauchman handles the bat well enough to stick. Those qualities appear high on the manager’s wish list. Yet, Taylor lacks solid bat-to-ball skills, and Tauchman lacks speed either in the field or on the base paths.
Mets’ No. 4 prospect A.J. Ewing, who is batting leadoff and playing centerfield in tonight’s Spring Breakout game, just told me he’ll be starting the season with Double-A Binghamton.
— Ben Dickson (@bendickson__) March 19, 2026
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Ewing, after a .381 average in spring training, will probably begin the season in Double-A. With the nature of baseball slumps and injuries, he will only be one call away. However, if the Mets call him up, can he stick on the roster and provide enough value to remain?
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