Minor League Mondays: A.J. Ewing Has Entered The Conversation

While the New York Mets' pitching prospects have turned heads this season, it is important not to forget the strong wave of position players the team is developing. A few key hitters have already reached the majors, such as Ronny Mauricio and LuisAngel Acuna, while Jett Williams, Ryan Clifford and Drew Gilbert have a chance to contribute in the next year or two. There is another group of young hitters coming up behind them, including outfielder A.J. Ewing, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.

A.J. Ewing has taken a huge step forward in 2025.

Ewing, 20, was a fourth-round selection for the Mets in the 2023 draft with the compensatory pick they got for losing Jacob deGrom to Texas in free agency. The Mets paid Ewing over slot to get him to break a commitment to Alabama, but he didn't really stand out at the plate in his first two seasons of professional ball.

Things have clicked for Ewing this year as he absolutely mashed for Low-A St. Lucie, hitting .400 with an 1.121 OPS in 18 games before earning a promotion to High-A Brooklyn. The hits have kept falling for Ewing on Coney Island as he has hit .308 with an .838 OPS in his first 39 games for Brooklyn, a strong start in a league and park that is tougher on hitters than pitchers.

A relatively short player at 5-foot-11, Ewing has shown good command of the strike zone in a similar fashion to Williams. Speed is the best tool in Ewing's toolbox, allowing him to become a stolen base threat and generate extra bases on hits into the gap, but his power is a work in progress. On the defensive front, the Mets have had Ewing work in center field to help clear their log jam of infield prospects, but his natural position is at second base.

Ewing has shown he can use his speed as an asset in center, giving him the potential to be a fourth-outfielder type in due time. Seeing Ewing earn Florida State League Player Of The Month honors in April was a big positive for his offensive potential, and his speed will always play as he has stolen a combined 45 bases over the first two months of the season. Scouts rate Ewing, who MLB.com ranks as the Mets' 26th-best prospect, as a player with a chance to be a contributor at the major league level. If Ewing can develop some pull side power and keep his strikeout rate in check, he has a chance to be a better version of Acuna, whose speed got him to the majors but has significant issues with plate discipline.

At just 20 years old, Ewing will likely spend the summer in Brooklyn with a chance to cameo at AA Binghamton if he keeps tearing the cover off the ball on Coney Island. The Mets don't really have a long-term option in center field either, so Ewing can insert his name into that conversation if he keeps hitting well.