A.J.

Ewing

Ewing took Nationals righty Jake Irvin deep for a no-doubter to right-center field in the seventh inning that traveled 396 feet, per Statcast. It was his 11th round-tripper of the season and first time leaving the yard since September 14. The 22-year-old enters New York’s final regular-season contest hitting .254/.324/.379 with 55 runs scored, 11 homers, 43 RBI and 25 steals in 119 games. Here’s an oversimplification: Ewing is going to be an impactful all-around fantasy contributor for years to come.

If you’re going to have to take a day off once in a while, doing so against Phillies star left-hander Cristopher Sanchez isn’t the worst idea in the world. The rookie outfielder has been on a tear at the plate recently, slashing .351/.397/.544 with three homers, 12 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in 63 plate appearances over his last 15 games. Nick Morabito will start in his place in center field and bat eighth for the Mets on Sunday.

Ewing’s home run was his 10th of the season. He hit a solo shot off Brandon Young in the fourth inning. Ewing has two home runs in his last four games. He’s hitting .251 with a .703 OPS and 38 RBI this year.

On a heater lately, Ewing chipped in a RBI single in the seventh and solo homer in the ninth as the Mets chipped away at the Yankees lead before falling short in their comeback attempt. He’s now 13-for-27 with two home runs and nine RBI over his last seven games as he looks to end his rookie season on a high note.

Ewing had been in a prolonged slump, but he now has a modest four-game hitting streak that has seen him go 7-for-15 with one home run and five RBI. Perhaps the rookie is starting to adjust back to how MLB pitchers are attacking him. The 22-year-old has a solid .247/.319/.365 slash line in his rookie season, which began with him at Double-A.

The homer off Anthony Molina was Ewing’s first of the second half. He had seven homers in his first 53 games as a major leaguer, but he’d since gone 46 games without one. Overall, he’s batting .238/.313/.356 in 413 plate appearances. He’ll finish out this season as a regular, but he probably hasn’t locked down a spot in the Mets’ 2027 outfield just yet.

He’s sitting against LHP Tugboat Wilkinson. When the Mets lost Luis Robert Jr. on waivers the assumption was that Ewing’s playing time would be safe, but Nick Morabito is manning center field for the platoon advantage. Since the start of August, Ewing is hitting .168/.242/.212 with no homers and eight stolen bases.

While Ewing’s bat has been ice cold lately – .507 OPS over his last 30 games – he’s finally turned the corner as a base stealer. Two more here give him 13 since July 1st and he’s only been caught one time over that span.

No surprise after Benge suffered a left wrist injury on a collision with the left-field wall while making a sliding catch during Friday’s contest. The positive news for the Mets, and fantasy managers, is that initial X-rays came back negative for any fractures, and the Mets are currently calling it a bone bruise. It sounds like he could be back by the middle of next week. It’ll be fellow rookie A.J. Ewing taking over in left field with Luis Robert Jr. patrolling center field and Brett Baty in the opposite corner.

Ewing continues to produce out of the lead-off spot in their order. Along with the three hits, he was hit by a pitch as well and reached base four total times. His stolen base was also his 15th on the season and after a bit of an inefficient start on the base paths, he’s now successfully stolen seven in a row since the last time he was caught on June 29th. Those plus his .266 batting average, seven home runs, and standout defense in center field have made Ewing a very useful player during his rookie season.