Could This Mets Prospect Reach the Major Leagues in 2026?

A possible piece of the Mets' future may be on track to make his MLB debut.

Mar 13, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; New York Mets left fielder A.J. Ewing (97) makes a catch to retire Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile (not pictured) during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Although the New York Mets are struggling immensely at the moment, they are fortunate enough to be set up for future success.

The Mets' farm system remains one of the best in baseball even with the lofty expectations placed upon the big league club. This allows them to not only make major transactions for established talent in trades, but also gives New York the option to ignite the roster with a young, exciting player.

Top prospects Carson Benge and Nolan McLean are already on the big league roster, with McLean already an NL Rookie of the Year favorite. Two more young pitchers in Jonah Tong and Christian Scott are waiting in the wings as well, serving as high-upside depth in case the rotation falters.

But with Benge graduating to major league status, the Mets' best position player on the farm is A.J. Ewing. And from the way he's playing to start the year, he may be knocking on the door of the majors by the end of the season.

What A.J. Ewing's Path to the Mets' Big League Roster Looks Like

Through eight games with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Ewing already looks ready for a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse. The 21-year-old has been a near-impossible out as he's hitting .419/.538/.581 for a ridiculous 1.119 OPS over 39 plate appearances. Five of Ewing's 13 hits have gone for extra bases (all doubles), he's drawn eight walks while striking out only five times, and he's 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts.

This stellar start is a continuation of Ewing's 2025 season, which saw him rise through three different levels. The lefty speedster played in 124 games and stole a whopping 70 bases in 81 attempts, while slashing .315/.401/.429 in 564 plate appearances. Despite a lack of home run power, Ewing's combination of contact skills, plate discipline, and speed make him an on-base machine that puts his team at a tremendous advantage whenever he gets on.

A.J. Ewing Is Dominating Double-A

⚾ .438 AVG
⚾ 1.063 OPS
⚾ 3 SB

Ewing is torching the Eastern League with elite production through his first four games for the Rumble Ponies.pic.twitter.com/qSolFdMEMT

— RotoLegends (@RotoLegends) April 9, 2026

Another feather in Ewing's cap is his positional versatility. The youngster is seeing time at both second base and center field this year, and he has experience at both corner outfield positions as well. Ewing has spent the most time as a center fielder, but having the option to plug him into the middle infield aligns very well with David Stearns' roster-building strategy of adaptable defenders.

That being said, the Mets should not try to rush Ewing to the majors, especially without a single game in Triple-A. At just 21 years old, he is the third-youngest player on the Mets' top 10 prospect list behind only Mitch Voit and Elian Peña. Ewing is still an incomplete product as well, as he doesn't hit too many home runs despite hitting the ball hard. Perhaps tweaking his swing to get a bit more loft on the ball could make him a true five-tool player alongside his other skills.

Mets No. 3 prospect A.J. Ewing made this nice defensive play in right center

He also went 1-3 with 3 walks and a stolen base. He is hitting .409 with a 1.097 OPS to start the year for Double-A Binghamton pic.twitter.com/6x6lCQomzH

— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) April 11, 2026

If Ewing continues to develop in Syracuse, he'd probably get an everyday opportunity in the majors in 2027. This season, the Mets are playing Luis Robert Jr. in center field and he's been one of the team's more productive hitters despite the lineup struggling as a whole. Marcus Semien is the everyday second baseman, and while he has gotten off to a very poor start, he's being paid $72 million from 2026 to 2028, far too much for the Mets to not play him.

In 2027, though, Robert has a $20 million club option that the Mets can decline, which opens the door for Ewing to play center. If Robert has a strong 2026 and the Mets pick up the option, they'd likely look to trade Semien and play Ewing at second.

Of course, this all takes liberties in that Robert and Semien continue playing the way they are and Ewing keeping up his stellar performance when he is inevitably promoted to Syracuse. But if Ewing continues to shine like this, he could be another component of the Mets' future core of players.

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