Tyler Tolbert’s record-setting night grabbed the headlines after the Royals’ 16-12 win over the Mets on Tuesday at Citi Field, and for good reason. He tied an MLB mark with 12 straight hits and piled up back-to-back five-hit games.
But New York had its own standout in the loss, and A.J. Ewing made sure his name belonged in the conversation.
The 21-year-old Mets rookie turned in a huge all-around performance, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBIs, a stolen base and a walk. He reached base in all five of his plate appearances and kept his recent power surge rolling with another homer.
That kind of line is rare enough on its own; it becomes even more notable when it comes in a losing effort. Only two players in MLB history have posted a similar single-game statline and ended up on the wrong side, with Joe Morgan doing it for the Astros on July 8, 1965.
Ewing, who has hit leadoff in the Mets’ last three games, delivered his second-inning two-run blast off Royals starter Seth Lugo on the first pitch he saw, a 77-mph sweeper. It was one of two home runs he’s launched over his last three games, a stretch that’s starting to hint at real pop from a player listed at 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds.
The power numbers are still small in the big picture, but they’re getting harder to ignore. In 52 MLB games, Ewing has six home runs. He had only three in 124 minor-league games last season.
Tuesday also put him in a spot no other Mets player 22 or younger had reached before: four hits, including a homer, plus a walk in the same game.
Scheduled to lead off again Wednesday against the visiting Royals, Ewing said the power isn’t something he’s chasing. As reported by SNY Mets, he said, "That's not really something I'm pushing for," Ewing said, as reported by SNY Mets. "It's more just line drive stuff, but the fact that I'm getting the ball in the air to the pull side.
"It's cool."
For a last-place Mets team sitting at 38-54, that kind of production at the top of the order carries obvious value. If the power keeps showing up alongside his defensive ability, New York may be looking at something bigger than a hot streak.
In Other News...
Jac Caglianones Home Run Derby Moment Just Got Even More Personal
Jac Caglianones rise has already given Royals fans plenty to track, and now the first basemans All-Star week will come with a little extra spotlight. The 2024 first-round pick announced he will take part in the Home Run Derby ahead of the MLB All-Star Game, a nod to the kind of power that has made him one of the most watched young hitters in the organization.
His June surge helped push him onto that stage, and the Derby will now carry a personal twist that makes the moment even bigger for him and his family. Caglianone has made clear how much this means beyond the baseball itself, and the setup adds another layer to what should already be one of the more intriguing events of All-Star week. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Fans Finally Get The Jac Caglianone Power Show They Wanted
Jac Caglianone is getting the kind of stage Royals fans have been waiting for. The rookie power bat announced he will take part in the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby in Philadelphia, his first time in the event, after turning his raw strength into a regular fixture in Kansas Citys lineup this season.
It also gives the Royals a familiar kind of summer spotlight, since Caglianone is the clubs first Derby participant since Bobby Witt Jr. in 2024. For a team that has spent much of the year leaning on his everyday presence and loud contact, the Derby offers a national showcase for the part of his game that has already made him one of the most watchable hitters on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Turned A Routine Comebacker Into Their Worst Nightmare
A routine comebacker in the first inning at Citi Field turned into a mess the Royals will want to forget, with Kansas City handing the Mets an opening that should have been harmless. Carson Benge put the ball in play, and what followed was the kind of defensive sequence that can unravel a game before it ever settles in, especially for a club trying to keep early innings from getting away.
The odd part is how rare it was, too. Three errors on one play is the sort of breakdown that almost never shows up on a major league scorecard, and for the Royals it left an immediate stain on a night that had barely begun. Even in a sport built on routine, this was the kind of mistake cluster that can linger long after the inning ends. [Read more 🡒]