A.J. Ewing made a strong major league debut with the Mets, going 1-for-2 with three walks, a triple, and two RBIs. He showed confidence and skill in both batting and fielding.
A.J. Ewing celebrates in a home white Mets uniform
With the way the Metsâ season has gone, you can forgive folks for not being exactly sure what to make of A.J. Ewingâs call-up. After all, Ewing had played just 12 games at Triple-A before getting promoted. And while he moved up three levels last season, starting the year in Single-A and ending the year in Double-A Binghamton, there have been plenty of examples of players called up far too early or for whom the transition to the majors never quite clicked.
While one game is never exactly a portent for a career, it is hard to image someone looking more comfortable, confident, or like he was exactly where he belongs than Ewing did in his first game at Citi Field.
Ewing went 1-for-2 with three walks, a triple, a stolen base, two runs batted in, and two runs scored. His one out was a long fly ball to the warning track. He looked comfortable in center field, and he didnât look remotely phased at any point in the game.
Not taking anything away from Carson Bengeâs home run on Opening Day or Nolan McLeanâs eight-strikeout performance against the Mariners, but something about Ewingâs debut felt different than those. Part of it is that last nightâs game was the first time this team has looked like a formidable team in weeks, but thereâs more to this than what the other guys on the roster did.
Ewing took some very close pitches with men on base for walks last night, pitches that many of his teammates probably wouldnât be able to lay off. He had a Soto-like calm when watching a borderline pitch into the catcherâs glove, where he knew that the pitch might be close but it was going to go his way.
Then there was the confidence with which he stole second base in the sixth inning. After diving back in after Burch Smith threw over, Ewing took a walking lead before absolutely sprinting to second, losing his helmet in the process, but beating the throw comfortably.
But his first big league hit is really where Ewing showed just how much he belongs here. A stand-up triple is rare, but a stand-up triple on a ball that touched the infield dirt is something Iâm not sure Iâve ever seen before, but especially not by a kid in his fourth career plate appearance.
In his debut, A.J. Ewing went 1-for-2 with three walks, a triple, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
A.J. Ewing played just 12 games at Triple-A before being promoted to the major leagues.
A.J. Ewing played center field during his major league debut with the Mets.
A.J. Ewing looked comfortable in center field and did not appear phased at any point during the game.
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Pick your factoid of choice: the first Met to reach base four times in his first game since Kaz Matsui in 2004, the youngest starting outfielder (21 days and 276 days old) since Fernando Martinez in 2009 (at 20 years and 228 days old), the only player since at least 1900 to walk three or more times in his MLB debut with a triple or multiple RBI, one of four players in the last 25 years to have one game with a triple, stolen base, and two walks younger than 22 (alongside James Wood, Ronald Acuña Jr, and Francisco Lindor), and the first ever Met to hit a triple in his MLB debut.
No matter how you slice it, Ewingâs debut was a memorable night for the Mets. Hereâs to many, many more memorable nights.