The Philadelphia Phillies are still trying to recover from their disastrous season opener, and it will take a while before fans truly see them as legitimate contenders. That might have taken some of the fun out of summer baseball, but Phillies fans love watching the New York Mets lose almost as much as they enjoy a win. And so far this season, there’s been plenty of that. Unfortunately for those fans, the Mets just got a spark of energy from rookie A.J. Ewing.
The Mets have been in a downward spiral all year, stumbling to a terrible 18–25 record that puts them at the bottom of the National League East. Almost everything has gone wrong—hitters aren’t hitting, fielders aren’t fielding, and pitchers aren’t pitching. The few bright spots have included superstar Juan Soto, though he’s missed a lot of time with injuries.
For a while, the Phillies were just as bad as the Mets, with a horrifying 10-game losing streak dropping them to the basement alongside their rivals. But the public dismissal of Rob Thomson gave the team a much-needed jolt, and under interim manager Don Mattingly, the squad has been red-hot over the last two weeks.
The same can’t be said for the Mets, who have continued playing awful baseball and digging themselves deeper into the standings. Still, there’s a small glimmer of hope: 21-year-old center fielder A.J. Ewing, who has burst onto the scene on fire.
A.J. Ewing is breathing life into the Mets with surprising home run power
Ewing was called up to the majors on Monday to fill in for injury-prone center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who landed on the injured list in late April with a back problem. As the top prospect in New York’s system, Ewing was expected to be more of a singles hitter with elite speed and a solid glove, someone who might run into a few homers if he’s lucky.
But the Ohio native immediately showcased his strong hitting ability, collecting three hits in his first three games—including a triple and a home run. He’s also added four walks and a stolen base, posting an incredible 1.427 OPS so far.
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