ESPN gives NY Mets prospect a bold ranking, believes he improves his one shortcoming

ESPN released their top MLB prospects list and all of the usual New York Mets suspects made the cut. Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and Jonah Tong were there. Even our exes, Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, remain in the top 100.

One of the fastest risers in the system made an appearance as well. A.J. Ewing, off of an incredible minor league season which saw him stealing bases, hitting for average, and playing top-level defense in center field, was ranked 28th in all of Major League Baseball.

Ewing’s rise gave the Mets more of a reason to trade Williams. If ESPN’s assessment is correct, Ewing’s floor has him profiling as a fourth outfielder type who’ll steal runs in center field. His ceiling could have him hitting for a lot more power in the coming year.

Power was the one thing A.J. Ewing was missing last season, ESPN sheds reasons why it could be on the way

Only 3 home runs and none in his 132 plate appearances in Double-A isn’t a concern. As noted, his exit velo numbers translate into being slightly above the average major leaguer. His pull and lift numbers are average or better compared to others his age. They’re expecting a spike in home runs this coming year.

Ewing isn’t void of power. He hit 10 in 2024 but it came with an inferior .233 batting average. In comparison to the .315 from last year, it’s peanuts.

The floor of what Ewing can do as a major leaguer remains one of the more captivating elements of his game. He is regarded as the best defensive player in the Mets system. A speedy, slick-gloved center fielder is precisely what David Stearns envisions for the position every year.

When the Mets rejected the Miami Marlins’ trade offer of Edward Cabrera for Ewing and Brett Baty, it might have been as much about the prospect involved as it is about the vacancy at third base that would’ve been created.

While ESPN’s analysis of Williams is incredibly high, MLB Pipeline has him in the top 100 way down at number 97. It’s not incredibly unusual for prospect rankings to differ so wildly. It’s speculative and often personal.

One big year from a fourth round pick is bold to rank him this highly, especially in comparison to a player like Tong who had a truly dominant season in the minors. ESPN’s ranking has faith in Williams while MLB Pipeline is asking him to do it one more time.