The Mets have already started to send a message with their outfield, and it’s not the one they said they wanted to send.
After spending stretches this season without Luis Robert Jr. and Juan Soto because of injuries, New York finally got a look at a healthier outfield mix. With Soto sidelined again, this time by a calf strain, the club has had a daily run of A.J.
Ewing, Robert and Carson Benge. Most of the time, that meant the rookies on the corners and the veteran in center.
But that setup didn’t last long once the Mets decided Ewing needed more work in center field, where he’s expected to settle in down the road. Over the weekend against the Washington Nationals, Robert made his left-field debut in the majors.
He didn’t even get a ball hit his way.
That alone wouldn’t normally mean much. What stands out is how quickly the Mets moved away from the idea.
Since that left-field look, Robert has started a couple of games in center and also had a day off. Then, on Aug. 19, when he entered as a pinch-hitter for left fielder Cristian Pache, the Mets shifted the defense again, putting Robert back in center and sending Ewing to the open corner.
That runs straight against the plan Andy Green spelled out just last week. The interim manager said Ewing would play center field in two out of every three games the rest of the season, with Robert handling the other third. Instead, the Mets have acted like they’d rather keep the veteran in the middle.
Robert still has the resume to justify the instinct. He won a Gold Glove in center field in 2020 and has piled up +33 Outs Above Average and +20 Defensive Runs Saved there in his career. But this season, he’s only barely on the positive side in those numbers, and he’s set to hit free agency if the Mets turn down his $20 million club option for 2027.
Ewing has been better in center this year, checking in at +2 OAA and +3 DRS. More importantly, he’s the future at the position. At this point in a season that’s headed toward the NL East cellar, that should be the part that matters most.
The Mets already showed they were willing to move Juan Soto from right field to left to make room for Benge. The puzzling part is why they haven’t asked Robert to do the same for Ewing.
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