Why A.J. Ewing's Slump Shouldn't Be Long-Term Concern for Mets

As the New York Mets bid adieu to Luis Robert Jr. on Monday, there will be no one standing in the way of A.J. Ewing's center field reps anymore. While Ewing's defense has been elite since coming up from the minors in May, his offense has taken a bit of a hit of late.

Since the start of July, Ewing is batting just .213 (43-for-202) with only 3 home runs and 9 RBI. Ewing has also been striking out more often, racking up 61 punchouts in that span after whiffing just 44 times prior to July 1.

The struggles that Ewing is going through have looked more pronounced as fellow rookie Carson Benge is trying to make a push for the National League's Rookie of the Year award. Most fans and experts have counted on Ewing as a part of the club's outfield of the future, but his slump has caused a bit of worry that he may be coming down to Earth.

Why A.J. Ewing's slump isn't a cause for panic

It is important to remember that Ewing, who turned 22 years old on Aug. 10, essentially jumped straight from AA to the majors in May. The Mets were aggressive with Ewing, who played only 46 combined games in Double-A Binghamton between 2025 and 2026 and 12 in AAA Syracuse, which is not much experience against upper-level pitching.

Big-league pitching is a major adjustment for young players, and there is no doubt a book has gotten out about Ewing after his early success. Interim manager Andy Green has had a steady hand with his young players and has backed Ewing, recently indicating that he feels like Ewing is still putting together productive at-bats as he tries to fight his way out of his slump.

The Mets recently dropped Ewing out of the leadoff spot to the bottom third of the order, which is an appropriate call given their current situation. Ewing's performance has not been strong enough to warrant staying in the leadoff spot, but he's still an important part of the Mets' future, making his at-bats a worthwhile investment over the last four weeks of the season.

The fact that Ewing is a tremendous defender also makes it easier to keep him in the lineup since he offers exceptional value even if he isn't hitting. That strong defense has helped Ewing generate 2.3 Wins Above Replacement despite hitting only .239 with a .663 OPS at the moment, which is certainly a usable player in the lower half of the batting order.

There has also been a ton of evidence that Ewing will be a dominant force at the plate, as he was electric at every minor league stop over the past two years. Ewing is very young for the major-league level, and there is good reason to believe that once he figures it out, he can be a dynamic two-way center fielder for years to come.

Get Mets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google