Mets Prospect A.J. Ewing Climbs Rankings, Focuses on Defense and Speed

In a remarkable ascent through the Mets’ farm system, A.J. Ewing has seen his prospect ranking soar from No. 83 to No. 37 on Baseball America’s latest Top 100 list, following his promotion from Double-A to Triple-A at the end of April. The 21-year-old outfielder is not only riding a wave of success on the field but also maintaining a grounded approach to his game, emphasizing the importance of sticking to the fundamentals.

“I think it’s impossible not to find out about that and see that stuff,” Ewing shared in an interview with NJ.com’s Max Goodman on the podcast Speaking of the Mets. “At the end of the day, no matter where you’re at, you just got to show up and play the same game that you’ve been playing all these years.”

Ewing’s performance in Binghamton was nothing short of stellar, where he posted a .349 batting average over 18 games in 2026. His success has continued in Syracuse, where he is currently hitting an impressive .393 through his first eight games at the Triple-A level. The young slugger credits his self-confidence as a key factor in his consistent play. “Just staying with myself and just having confidence that what I’m doing in the box is going to work and that I’m capable,” he said. “Always believing in yourself… that confidence in the box and confidence in the field just goes a lot more of a way than people might think.”

One of Ewing’s standout attributes is his speed on the basepaths. Last season, he showcased his ability to steal bases with 70 successful swipes in 124 minor league games, while only being caught 11 times. In 2026, he has already nabbed 16 bases in just 24 games. Ewing relishes using his speed strategically, noting, “I love it, I think that there’s a lot of value in that. And I think it sets the team up to get more runs and sets us up for a lot of success.”

For Mets fans unfamiliar with his game, Ewing highlighted his impressive plate discipline, having struck out only three times in 28 at-bats at the Triple-A level. “I spray the ball to all fields,” he explained. “I think I’m a tough out. I think I grind at-bats really well and I see a lot of pitches and I make pitchers work hard.”

Versatility is another hallmark of Ewing’s career, as he has played 149 games in center field, 20 in left field, 19 in right field, and 53 at second base. Now that he is just one step away from the majors, he is committed to refining his defensive skills across the diamond. “A lot of it is the defense,” Ewing acknowledged. “Just like, be lockdown in the outfield and make sure that I can play second base as an option. I’ve been doing a lot of work with our guys here on trying to refine those skills and stay pretty stable in the infield. Get better at the things that I’m good at in the box, make a lot of contact and hit a lot of line drives.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.