AJ Ewing has provided the Mets with a ray of sunshine amidst this dark season. As you could tell from the tone of most of the stories written about the Mets recently, all hope had faded and there didn't seem to be much to write about on the positive side.
Ewing was one of many prospects that had looked pretty good as he moved up through the minor league levels. We have touted many of them right here at Mack's Mets. What was different this time was first and foremost the timing. His appearance on the big stage and what he did with it on the first night was desperately needed to remind this team and its fans that baseball is fun.
It is way too early in his career to make some big prediction of stardom. He is very young, has not "seen it all" yet, and will have some bumps along the way as he learns the game at the MLB level. But just seeing his youthful enthusiasm, watching him race around the bases with his first triple, and watching his teammates lighten up a bit was needed on many levels.
I watched Ewing and Benge interact in the outfield and it reminded me of the fun I had playing baseball (at a very low level). It is a great game, filled with challenges and competition at the individual and team levels. Most of the current Mets had forgotten about that, as the weight of failed expectations had consumed their conscious thinking. Having a positive state of mind in any sport enhances performance because it removes distraction from the moments when muscle memory and twitch reflex need to fire.
I had the pleasure of interviewing AJ Ewing earlier this year (interview link) and there were several things I learned about him in that discussion and in subsequent observations of his play.
1) Ewing is an intense competitor. He enjoys the competition of pitcher versus batter, hitter versus fielder, team versus team. He wants to see his opponent's best to measure up to it. Even in professional athletics, it is rare to find the player that wants the ball in the critical moments. He does not fear failure, he accepts it as the price to get better. This will differentiate him from others with equivalent physical tools.
2) He enjoys the game, and it shows in the passion that he plays with. He has that grit that is tough to describe but easy to see. Think Lenny Dykstra, Wally Bachman, or even Pete Rose as examples of people that played the game with tremendous passion.
3) He is an athlete as much as he is a baseball player. When asked what he worked on in the off-season, his answer was speed and muscle tone, not some analytical swing plane mechanic that changes with the latest trends.
4) He has worked his way rapidly through the levels because he is ready to learn and he does not let anything bother him. He started the last few seasons at a lower level of ball than he may have expected. That didn't matter, because it was a challenge to him so rather than fret about it, he went out to beat that level...and quickly did. In 2024, he started in rookie ball, and it took him 19 games to get promoted. In 2025 he began the year in the Florida State League and it took him 18 games to get promoted. This year, he started at AA Binghamton even though he hit .339 there in the prior season. No problem - he hit .349 in 18 games before he was promoted. Then he hit .326 at AAA Syracuse in 12 games to make the statement, "Don't hold me back".
Only time will tell if AJ Ewing will become a star in MLB. But one thing is for sure - he will pump some much needed enthusiasm into his teammates as he competes with everything he has this year. I hope the attitude is contageous.
