The Mets may have stumbled into something far more valuable than a short-term spark in AJ Ewing.
Before he had even logged much time in the majors, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel slotted the Mets outfielder 28th on his 2026 top-100 prospects list. That was a strong placement for a player who had only appeared in 28 games at Double-A and was generally viewed as more of a back-end top-100 type. But McDaniel’s belief in Ewing is starting to look less bold by the day.
Ewing has been one of the most productive center fielders in the Major Leagues since reaching the big leagues, and Tuesday night at Citi Field only strengthened that case. He went 4-for-4, added a walk for his fifth trip on base, and launched his sixth homer of the year. That performance pushed him to a .790 OPS on the season, along with four stolen bases.
The Mets have also made their intentions pretty clear by moving him into the leadoff spot recently. That kind of move says plenty about how much confidence they have in the rookie center fielder, especially with the season slipping away and the focus shifting toward development and 2027.
If the Mets are going to get back into contention in 2027 after their awful 2026 campaign, Ewing is going to be a major reason why. No matter who is managing the club next, there’s a strong argument that they’ve already found their answer at two premium spots: center field and the top of the lineup.
After that 4-for-4 night, Ewing’s line sits at .276/.359/.431 with six homers, and the defense in center has been just as important as the bat. He was not supposed to be a major contributor this season, but he has become one of the team’s most important pieces anyway. On a roster with plenty of holes, he already looks like he can help fill several of them.
The upside is easy to see. Ewing is locked in as the Mets’ leadoff hitter and center fielder for this next wave, and as his pull-side power keeps developing, the profile gets even more intriguing. A Gold Glove-caliber defender in center with 20/20 potential is a rare combination anywhere in the sport.
Even in Brandon Nimmo’s prime in center, the glove wasn’t on Ewing’s level, and Nimmo reached 15 stolen bases only once. Ewing, meanwhile, has a chance to become the Mets’ best center fielder since Carlos Beltran.
The 2027 roster is still a mystery, and it figures to look very different from the one on the field now. But one thing already seems settled: the Mets have their leadoff hitter and center fielder.
There’s also another layer to his game that could matter even more as he settles in. The Mets were one of the better base-stealing teams in the league in 2025 despite their epic collapse down the stretch, and Ewing should only add to that strength. He swiped 70 bags in the minors last year, and those numbers should climb as he gets more comfortable in the majors.
His jump from Triple-A after only 12 games in Syracuse was unexpected, but what he has done since then has been even more impressive. In a season packed with disappointment, Ewing has quickly become the Mets’ brightest spot.
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The more interesting part is whether the Mets would use that kind of swap to bring in a pitcher who is close enough to matter soon, but still has some development left in the tank. With A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley no longer in the mix, there is at least a path for a left-handed arm to get a look, and Seattles system has one that has been moving through the upper levels with strong strikeout numbers and steady run prevention. The wrinkle is timing, because a pitcher in that spot can be useful to a club now, while also carrying enough roster pressure that the other side has to decide whether to hold on or make a move before the offseason changes the calculus. [Read more 🡒]