Not much has gone right for the New York Mets during a calamitous 2026 season, but they at least appeared to have found a long-term lineup fixture.
Carson Benge isn't the only rookie producing in New York's outfield. The unheralded A.J. Ewing continues to look like an impact player in center.
Injuries to Luis Robert Jr. and Tyrone Taylor prompted the Mets to promote Ewing after only 12 games at Triple-A Syracuse. The 21-year-old has risen to the challenge, batting .276/.359/.431 with six home runs and nine stolen bases in 200 plate appearances.
Ewing had an evening for the ages during Tuesday's chaotic 16-12 loss to the Kansas City Royals. The newly appointed leadoff hitter went 4-for-4 with a walk, a steal and an upper-deck moonshot that marked his fourth home run in the last 13 games. That's a particularly encouraging development for the 160-pound neophyte, who hit three long balls in the minors last season.
Ewing visits the second deck 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9oofj5JBhF
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 7, 2026
Ewing also flashed some leather to make a jumping catch at the wall, robbing Michael Massey of a potential RBI extra-base hit. He's delivered plus-3 Defensive Runs Saved in center field, where the Mets have struggled to find a steady source of offense and defense.
Following Tuesday's breakout game, Ewing ranks second on the Mets to Juan Soto with a .790 OPS and .349 weighted on-base average. The Mets have rewarded Ewing by batting him first in their last three games against a right-handed pitcher.
A returning Taylor has snatched a couple of starts from Ewing against southpaws, but the Mets may want to reconsider deploying a platoon. While Ewing boasts a .372 on-base percentage versus righties, he's also handled lefties just fine with a .777 OPS.
He hasn't wreaked as much havoc on the basepaths as expected, getting caught six times in 15 stolen-base attempts after swiping 70 bags in 2025. Yet Ewing has surfaced alongside Benge to give the Mets two outfield mainstays for the foreseeable future.