NEW YORK -- What stands out 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 in a 10-2 win over the Tigers. 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 sorely in need of exactly that: a spark.
“He’s a pretty well-rounded player right now,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “There aren’t a ton of holes in his game.”
For that reason, the Mets selected Ewing after only 12 games with Triple-A Syracuse and 46 more with Double-A Binghamton. After reaching the latter level 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, Ewing 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 for his debut. There, they saw him put his fingerprints all over the Mets’ victory. In five plate appearances, Ewing walked three times, including one with the bases loaded, stole a base and recorded his first career hit on an RBI triple.
“I was just focused on being the best player I possibly could and dominating the level I was at,” Ewing said. “The fact that it happened, I’m excited to be here. I’m ready to go.”
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,” 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, as he did Tuesday in his big league debut.
“It’s a simple swing, simple approach, short to the baseball, uses the whole field,” Mets manager Carlos 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.
“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.”