Spunky NY Mets prospect was the quiet winner in first spring training game

A 2-1 loss with 4 combined hits didn’t tell us a whole lot about what we can expect from the New York Mets this season. Brandon Waddell started, Tyrone Taylor batted cleanup, and the whole goal of the 9 innings versus the Miami Marlins was to go live.

One player who came in as a mid-game replacement that deserves a pat on the back is spunky Mets prospect A.J. Ewing. He’s one of the reasons why the Mets were more open to trading Jett Williams. Rising quickly as a future option in center field, he drove in the only run for the Mets while also making a heads up play on what could have been an error.

Small moments in a game without a whole lot of excitement, Ewing managed to put together a pair of highlights from each side of the ball that we can appreciate.

Mets prospect A.J. Ewing had a promising first game by doing the little things

Ewing isn’t in the conversation to break camp with the Mets. It’s still a longshot for him to see any major league action whatsoever. The team has plans of an outfield where Carson Benge is the only rookie to sip from the big league coffee cup with Nick Morabito as the next possibility.

Ewing is a fascinating prospect because of how varied he ranks on some of the major lists. Baseball America has him at 83rd. MLB Pipeline lists him at 97th. Baseball Prospectus really likes him with a 38th place spot.

Slashing .315/.401/.429 last year with 70 stolen bases and a good reputation as a center field defender, Ewing certainly seems to have the tools to become an important part of the Mets by 2027. A strikeout in his first plate appearance followed by the sacrifice fly is how he got things started. The latter showed patience and an attempt to not do too much. Meanwhile, his defensive play showed Ewing’s head right there in the game, in the moment, ready to save an errant throw.

No, these aren’t the kinds of things to shift your opinion about Ewing much at all. They do serve as some real-life examples as to why he is regarded so highly.

This year should include a good half season in Double-A followed by a tour through Triple-A. Thanks to his speed and defensive skills, Ewing might just be a candidate for that coveted September call-up.

Carlos Mendoza took notice, praising the youngster further after the game.