One of the most interesting prospects finally got the call to join the Majors this week, when 2023 fourth-round draft pick A.J. Ewing was called up by the New York Mets from the Syracuse Mets. This edition of our fantasy baseball prospect report will focus solely on Ewing and his potential in the Big Apple.
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Ewing was drafted 134th overall out of Springboro High School after hitting an astounding .415 with a .528 on-base percentage (OBP) in just 43 games. Since his draft selection, Ewing has quickly climbed through the Mets’ minor league system, and New York thought the time was right to call him up, even at just 21 years old (he turns 22 in three months).
For fantasy baseball, is Ewing worth the add in standard 10- or 12-team leagues? Is the overwhelming hype and talent of the 5-foot-10, 160-pound 21-year-old worth it for a roster spot this early in the season? What can he provide while he is up with the big club?
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Report: A.J. Ewing
Will A.J. Ewing reach into his big bag of baseball tools and use them all to stay up? Let’s dive in.
Fast Riser
When a player enters professional baseball at just 18 years old, we typically think it will be a four-to-five-year maturity. Partly because they need to learn the professional game, and partly because they are still growing into the bodies they will have as adults.
A.J. Ewing debuted at the end of the 2023 minor league season and is already up in the Majors at the beginning of the 2026 campaign. That’s less than three years of development at the minor league level, but Ewing excelled everywhere he stopped.
It started with a 16% walk rate and 13 steals in 90 games in 2024. He then ballooned to a .315/.401/.429 slash line with 70 total steals in 2025. When a centerfield spot opened up with the injury to Luis Robert, the Mets tried to come up with other solutions, but Ewing appears to be the best one at the moment, despite his age.
Robert has had setbacks in his recovery as well, so this could be an extended look for the young rookie. He has an elite ability to walk and was making a ton of contact in AAA before his promotion. I’ve seen comparisons already to Ewing being this year’s Jakob Marsee (55 games, .292 average, 14 steals).
If that happens, this can’t be seen as anything other than a smashing success. Given how quickly he has adapted to professional baseball, I’m betting he’ll figure things out with his eyes and legs during his time with the Mets.
Elite Batted Ball Profile
A.J. Ewing entered his professional career as such a dangerous hitter (especially for his age) because his batted-ball profile combines elite decision-making with great contact. Even when his stats have had peaks and valleys during his time in the minors, the underlying metrics have remained extremely strong.
In AAA during 2026, Ewing posted an 89.2 miles per hour (MPH) average exit velocity with a 108.8 MPH max exit velocity and a 34.1% hard-hit rate, while also maintaining a strong plate approach with a 16.7% walk rate across two levels against only a 15.2% strikeout rate. His zone contact rate has also been over 90% at several stops, which is elite for a young outfielder in the AAA ranks.
Ewing was consistently at a 40% hard-hit rate in multiple stops in the minors, and he even reached almost 110 MPH max exit velocity this season. There are several reasons why he is unlikely to ever hit more than 12-15 home runs in any season in the Major Leagues, but he doesn’t need that level of power to let his best game come through. Average, line drives and speed. That’s his game.
Ewing is hitting eighth in the order for New York, but could be a long-term high-in-the-order batter who will hit for a high average, steal a lot of bases and score upwards of 100 runs every season if he ever hits leadoff. Considering his high OBP everywhere he goes, a leadoff spot at some point down the line is not out of the question.
Built for Average & Speed, Not Power
What makes Ewing especially impressive (even without elite Major League power) is how his swing creates hard hits and a line drive stroke. He will be primarily a singles and doubles hitter, in addition to all the walks, but that’s where he can then show off his most dangerous asset: His speed.
The Mets outfielder already has a season with over 70 total steals in the minors. And Ewing already had 17 in 30 games (with a .447 OBP) before his call-up this season. We got a glimpse of how dangerous this can be in his debut when he went 1-for-2 with a triple, three walks, two RBI, two runs and a stolen base. He is dangerous everywhere, and this is just the beginning.
Ewing’s launch angles won’t ever get him in the 40-50% fly-ball range, so we shouldn’t count on 20 or 25 home runs. But his approach is ideal for producing line drives and hard contact rather than weak pop-ups or ground balls. However he ends up getting on base, he becomes a great source of steals and runs.
The combination of plate discipline, elite bat control, strong batters’ eye and elite-level speed gives him one of the safest offensive profiles among young outfielders. Hitters with this kind of profile tend to have some growing pains at the beginning, but speed kills, and Ewing has plenty of it.
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