NEW YORK -- What stands out most on A.J. Ewing’s scouting report is the speed. MLB Pipeline, which rates Ewing as the No. 2 prospect in Flushing and No. 78 in baseball, gave his speed a 70 grade on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. That translates to “plus-plus,” or some of the best in the game.
But Ewing’s speed is not the reason why New York called him up on Tuesday, plugging him into center field for his Major League debut. The Mets did that because they believe Ewing is ready to hit Major League pitching immediately, and because they think he can help spark a team in need of exactly that: a spark.
For the Mets, it can certainly come in the form of speed, as Ewing demonstrated while rounding the bases multiple times during a 10-2 win over the Tigers. But it can also come in the form of being an all-around menace, as Ewing was in becoming the first Major Leaguer since at least 1900 to record three walks, a triple, a stolen base and multiple RBIs in his debut.
All told, Ewing reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances at Citi Field, knocking home two runs and scoring twice. The only out he made was on a 102.3 mph flyout to the warning track.
“Man, he was pretty much perfect at the plate today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Right on script, what impressed Mendoza most was not Ewing’s speed, but the fact that he managed to work three walks in his debut -- an event that tends to make even the coolest customers just a bit anxious. Not Ewing. In his first career plate appearance, Ewing fouled off a nasty Jack Flaherty knuckle-curve before taking consecutive fastballs just outside the strike zone to draw a seven-pitch walk, setting up a run-scoring opportunity for the Mets. He saw four more balls in the sixth, before stealing his first career base and scoring.
“That’s just part of my identity as a hitter,” Ewing said. “I’m patient. I see a lot of pitches, and I make pitchers work hard.”
In the seventh, Ewing finally flashed his muscle, pulling a pitch 104.2 mph down the line in right for a triple and his first career hit. (He plans to display the baseball on his desk until he figures out something better to do with it.) Then, in his final plate appearance, Ewing worked a six-pitch walk with the bases loaded.
“It definitely beat my expectations,” Ewing said. “It’s indescribable what it feels like to play out there in a big league stadium.”
It helped that Citi Field’s fan base showered him with applause at every turn, offering Ewing a loud ovation before he stepped into the box for his first plate appearance. That too, Ewing said, was “crazy.”
It was the exact type of impact Mets officials hoped Ewing could provide when they selected his contract despite only 12 games of experience with Triple-A Syracuse. After reaching Double-A in the second half of last season, Ewing returned there in April and hit .349/.481/.571 to earn a quick promotion. At the higher level, he batted .326/.392/.435 with five stolen bases to earn his callup.
He learned of the news in enough time to inform his father and three close family friends, who made their way to Citi Field. There, they saw him put his fingerprints all over the Mets’ victory.
“It reminds me of my debut and how proud you feel about yourself,” said starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, who threw six quality innings for the win. “I know that he feels great about it, and I think that we made him feel better with a win.”
To clear roster space for Ewing, the Mets designated veteran utilityman Andy Ibáñez for assignment. Ibáñez, 33, went hitless in eight plate appearances with the team.
New York expects much more from Ewing, who should play center field regularly with Luis Robert Jr. on the injured list and Carson Benge shifting to right. If things go as the Mets hope, those two and Juan Soto could be their starting outfield trio for the rest of this decade and beyond.
“We look at that and say that could be a really productive outfield for a long time,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said.
Some scouts who watched Ewing play in Spring Training considered him a superior offensive prospect to Benge, who entered the season ranked above Ewing on most major prospect lists. Those rankings mostly reflected Benge’s status as an older, more polished player with an ironclad defensive floor.
But Ewing also profiles as an all-around talent, beginning with his prowess on the basepaths. Last year, Ewing ranked fifth in the Minors with 70 steals. He was caught just 11 times. One of the fastest sprinters in his high school conference, Ewing chose baseball over his other two sports, track and football, and became a fourth-round pick of the Mets in 2023. Now 21 years old, he’s been stealing bases ever since. He has 88 of them since the start of last season.
But what turned Ewing into an elite prospect was his ability in the batter’s box. Blessed with a keen eye and strong bat-to-ball skills, Ewing produced a .401 on-base percentage over three Minor League levels last year, then a .447 mark this year in the upper Minors. Reaching base that often has afforded him ample opportunity to show off his speed.
“It’s a simple swing, simple approach, short to the baseball, uses the whole field,” Mendoza said. “Even though he’s only 21, he’s pretty mature and he’s super consistent. That shows us that, hey, let’s give him an opportunity here.”
The callup, Stearns made clear, had little to do with the Mets’ standing in last place. Instead, it was a combination of opportunity -- Robert is on the injured list and won’t be back anytime soon -- and reward. By all internal measures, Ewing is primed for a shot in the Majors.
It will be up to him to make it a permanent one.
“I’m confident in my ability,” Ewing said. “I’m just going to play the same game I’ve been playing and do what I do.”