A.J. Ewing clearly absorbed what NY Mets legend had to say during recent slump

Though their 69-82 record doesn't exactly reflect it, 2026 is actually an encouraging season for the New York Mets. After finishing April with a 10-21 record, it would've taken a Herculean effort for the team to get back on track and by the trade deadline, the organization had already shifted their focus to next year, selling off key assets like Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes.

It's not quite 2027 just yet but the young players that were called up this season have given fans plenty to be excited about. Carson Benge is the most valuable member on the team by rWAR (3.3) and in third place is A.J. Ewing (3.0). Both rookies have managed to find their groove in the big leagues but for the latter, it took a few words of advice from a franchise legend before really settling in.

After a few words of advice from Keith Hernandez, A.J. Ewing has been on a hot streak at the plate

It took some time for Ewing to get comfortable in the majors. After a lukewarm May, he posted an .856 OPS in June before gradually regressing, culminating in a .463 OPS for the month of August. With things clearly trending in the wrong direction, he received a visit from Keith Hernandez during the series against the Padres in mid-August. It hasn't been made public what was said, but it seems that it may have helped because since then, Ewing has been on an offensive tear.

In the month of September, he has a 188 wRC+ which is third among National League outfielders. Over this span, he has struck out just 15.6% of the time while hitting three home runs and two doubles, good for a slugging percentage of .641.

Most of his value this year has been from his fielding efforts where he already has ten Defensive Runs Saved. Given that he's playing a premium defensive position, his season OPS+ of 97 is already satisfactory but if he can find a way to consistently post an OPS+ in the 110 to 120 range without conceding value elsewhere, he'll be one of the best in the business.

This year hasn't been easy for the Mets but it hasn't been a waste either. There are a few storylines the organization would like to leave in the past as they look to the future and the young talent they already have in their system. The new faces have already proven that they belong and there are even some slightly older faces that are vying for another look. In hindsight, perhaps this season was a necessary step for the team to reorient itself around its younger players and towards a brighter future, one that has A.J. Ewing in the center of it.

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