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...
Mets Fans May Need To Rethink Their Brandon Nimmo Anger
The offseason decision to move Brandon Nimmo was always going to linger around Citi Field, especially with the Mets trying to reshape the roster and create more room for younger players to emerge. Marcus Semien has been part of that equation, but the bigger point for the Mets has been whether the change actually helped the lineup and the broader plan for the season.
So far, the answer has been complicated, with Semiens production drawing its own scrutiny while Nimmo has remained a familiar reference point for frustrated fans. The chants for Nimmo during a recent loss said plenty about the mood in the ballpark, and they also underscored how much this trade still hangs over the Mets as they sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Fans Have Seen This Cristian Pache Story Too Many Times
Cristian Pache has been in this spot before, and it is starting to feel familiar for Mets fans who have watched him flash enough to stay interesting without quite forcing the issue. After a strong spring, he still wound up back in the minors, and the Mets have continued to lean on other outfield options when injuries open the door to major league playing time.
At Triple-A Syracuse, the results have been uneven enough to keep the conversation going but not strong enough to change it, with limited offense and plenty of swing-and-miss across a sizable sample. The Mets have preferred other players for those opportunities, and even if Pache remains on the radar, the path back may be more about depth and timing than a sudden breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Made Another Pitching Shuffle Fans Need To See
The Mets latest win came with a familiar kind of late-game jolt, as they broke through for five runs with two outs in the eighth to beat the Royals 6-2. Brett Baty came through in the big spot with a bases-loaded hit that drove in two runs, and the finish only added to a night that already had a busy feel around the roster.
Before the first pitch, the club added Xzavion Curry and Tobias Myers to help stabilize the pitching mix, and more help may be on the way with Dan Hammer reportedly headed up as well. The shuffle comes as the staff tries to absorb another injury hit and keep the bullpen moving in the right direction, a reminder that even after a win like this, the Mets are still managing more than just the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]