New York Upstate of Mind: Road Trip Diary 2026 Day 1 :A.J. Ewing Isn’t Chasing the Moment — He’s Preparing for It

Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood

Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood

But I'm taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line

I'm in a New York upstate of mind... Billy Joel sort of.

While others might jet off to the beach or head out to the Hamptons, I once again found myself doing what has apparently become an annual tradition—packing up the car and heading north for a good old-fashioned baseball double-dip.

Year two of the upstate swing.

Last summer, it was a two-day journey through the Mets’ minor league system—Syracuse first, then Binghamton, where I was promised grilled meat on bread served with the kind of reverence usually reserved for religious ceremonies. This time around, the itinerary felt familiar, almost comforting. First stop: NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse to catch up with the Triple-A Mets. Next up: Binghamton and the Rumble Ponies.

Of course, minor league baseball—and really, baseball in general—has a funny way of reminding you who’s in charge.

The weather had other ideas.

Batting practice? Canceled.

For a moment, it felt like one of those rainout days where the best-laid plans go the way of a hanging curveball. But as it turns out, sometimes the best parts of these trips aren’t found on the field—they’re found in the conversations you didn’t think you’d get.

With a little extra time on the clock, I still managed to catch up with several players I had circled before making the trip, including one of the more intriguing rising names in the system, A.J. Ewing.

And when the clouds wouldn’t cooperate, well… you pivot.

That pivot led to a stop at a Syracuse institution: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.

First opened back in 1988 on Willow Street, the place has the kind of history that feels stitched into the walls. The Syracuse location alone has lived a few lives—from tavern to even housing a Cadillac dealership at one point—before becoming a barbecue landmark. Over the years, Dinosaur has expanded into other cities, each location with its own story, its own bones, its own sense of place.

But here in Syracuse, it still feels like the original roadshow.

It’s the kind of place where the smell hits you before the menu does, where the sauce isn’t just a condiment—it’s part of the identity. There’s even a cookbook out there if you’re feeling ambitious, though I’ve learned it’s a lot easier to just show up hungry.

Somewhere between the pulled pork and the stories embedded in the building, it became clear: even without batting practice, this trip was already delivering.

And as it turned out, so was A.J. Ewing.

There’s a certain kind of prospect that makes you stop looking at the stat line and start watching the game a little closer. Not because of what might happen—but because of what already is.

A.J. Ewing is one of those players.

The New York Mets’ 2023 fourth-round pick has quickly turned himself into one of the more intriguing names in the system. A high-contact bat with emerging pop, a 70-grade runner who swiped 70 bases last season, and a player who has moved seamlessly through multiple levels without blinking, Ewing checks a lot of boxes. But spend a few minutes talking with him, and something else stands out even more clearly:

He knows exactly who he is.

“I understood what made me good as a hitter,” Ewing told me during our one-on-one conversation. “And I learned that in my first full season when I had some struggle.”

That early adversity didn’t send him searching for a new identity. It did the opposite.

“And kind of sticking with that and not trying to be someone I’m not,” he said, “just hit the ball at all fields, trust my plan, trust the process.”

It sounds simple. It rarely is.

Ewing’s 2025 season—where he slashed .315/.401/.429 across three levels—wasn’t just impressive. It was consistent. For many prospects, each promotion brings an adjustment period. For Ewing, it brought… more of the same.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It comes from understanding your game and resisting the urge to reinvent it every time the competition gets tougher. Ewing’s approach—spray the ball, control the zone, get on base—has translated at every stop because it’s rooted in self-awareness, not guesswork.

And when you ask him about others going through their own ups and downs, like teammate Carson Benge, Ewing shows the same balance between respect and focus.

“Carson’s my good buddy, and he’s a great, great player,” Ewing said. “Everybody goes through ups and downs, and no matter what, I mean, he’s one of the best players that I’ve ever seen play.”

But admiration doesn’t become distraction.

“I’m focused here,” he added. “And I’ll be better.”

Let’s talk about the part of Ewing’s game that jumps off the page: speed.

Seventy stolen bases last season. Already back at it again this year.

In an era where analytics often put the brakes on the running game—unless you’re converting at elite efficiency—Ewing still sees it as a weapon. Not just for himself, but for everyone around him.

“I think it’s a big factor,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of value in getting on bases and on bases. I think it makes the pitchers work hard.”

And that’s where the ripple effect begins.

“It gives our hitters good pitches to hit, because they’re not totally focused on the hitter. Yeah, I think there’s a lot of value in that.”

This isn’t speed for the sake of highlights. It’s speed as strategy. Speed as pressure. Speed as disruption.

In other words, speed that wins games.

With injuries impacting the big-league roster, the question naturally comes up: does Ewing start looking ahead?

Does he think about the call?

Not really.

“I’m just focused on the day-to-day,” he said. “I know the Mets have a plan up there, and they have a plan for me, and my job’s just to be ready whenever they need me.”

It’s the kind of answer you expect. It’s also the kind of answer that’s easy to say and harder to live.

But Ewing doesn’t come across as someone reciting a script. There’s a calmness to it. A belief that if he handles what’s in front of him, everything else will take care of itself.

Ewing wasn’t just another name on a draft board—his arrival in the Mets organization came with a little more backstory attached.

The New York Mets selected A.J. Ewing in the fourth round (134th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Springboro High School in Ohio, signing him to an over-slot bonus of $675,000. The pick itself carried some significance, as it was a compensatory selection received from the Texas Rangers following the departure of Jacob deGrom.

In other words, this wasn’t just a routine addition to the system. There was already a spotlight waiting.

For some players, that kind of entry point brings added pressure. Expectations. The feeling that you have to justify not just the pick—but the circumstances around it.

For Ewing, it’s been something else entirely.

“I’m fortunate I got picked by the Mets,” he said. “I’m happy where I’m at, and I’m just trying to be the best player I can, no matter what.”

No added weight. No trying to live up to a narrative.

Just a player, quietly—and quickly—becoming exactly what the Mets hoped they were getting.

For Ewing, it brings gratitude.

“I’m fortunate I got picked by the Mets,” he said. “I’m happy where I’m at, and I’m just trying to be the best player I can, no matter what.”

No talk of proving anyone right. No added weight of expectations. Just a steady commitment to improvement.

If there’s one thing every minor leaguer learns, it’s that talent gets you noticed—but routine keeps you going.

For Ewing, the biggest challenge hasn’t been the travel, the new cities, or even the competition.

“Just, honestly, just the day-to-day grind of the baseball season,” he said.

It’s a lesson learned over time.

“I learned a lot going through my first season, my first couple seasons, and I’ve learned what it takes to go through a full season.”

And that understanding—more than any stat—might be what carries him to the next level.

Like most young players, Ewing has leaned on veterans when he can. One piece of advice, in particular, has stayed with him.

“I had a conversation with Bo Bichette… that every day you step to the field, you’re not always going to feel 100 percent,” he said. “Some days you need different things.”

Simple. Honest. True.

And maybe the perfect summary of what separates prospects who arrive from those who last.

A.J. Ewing isn’t trying to be the next anything. He’s not chasing comparisons or forcing timelines.

He’s a player with elite speed, a disciplined approach, and a growing all-around game—one who understands that development isn’t about leaps, but about layers.

Or, as he put it in his own words:

“Trust my plan. Trust the process.”

The Mets might have a plan for A.J. Ewing.

The interesting part?

He’s already executing his own.

Here is the Full interview with A.J.