QUEENS, NY — Perhaps AJ Ewing’s toughest test of his young major-league career came in the bottom of the 10th inning of Sunday’s Subway Series finale at Citi Field.
After Tyrone Taylor’s three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth forced extras, and closer Devin Williams kept the Yankees off the board, the 21-year-old left-handed rookie led off against southpaw Tim Hill with the clear directive of laying down a sacrifice bunt — something he had never done in the minors — to get ghost runner Marcus Semien from second base to third.
“You’d better get this bunt down,” Ewing recounted telling himself as he stepped into the box.
He did, laying a perfectly cushioned bunt just in front of Yankees catcher Austin Wells to get Semien within 90 feet of scoring. Two batters later, Carson Benge’s chopper walked the Mets off to a Subway Series win — their fourth series triumph in their last five to improve to 10-5 in their last 15 entering Monday night’s series opener down in D.C. against the Nationals.
It was yet another test passed with flying colors by Ewing, who has provided every inkling that he is ready to stick for the long haul as the Mets’ starting center fielder of the future. Over his first six games in the bigs, he is batting .294 with a 1.088 OPS, a home run, three RBI, and two stolen bases. His .500 on-base percentage is fueled by seven walks, making him just the 39th player since 1898 to record seven or more walks in his first six career games.
“I feel comfortable in the box,” Ewing said. “I think the batter’s box is kind of like my happy place. I feel like myself, and I’m just going to keep being me.”
Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of Ewing’s game that is not reflected in the stat sheet or on the field is the inordinate pragmatism from someone his age. The youngster is remarkably level-headed, imploring that he does not have to change one iota of his game to make it in the majors.
“Obviously, I want to stick, but I’m here to just play my game and help the team win as long as I’m here,” he told amNewYork. “It’s something that I’ve learned. My first year and even last year, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle what’s going on right now. But I think there’s a lot of growth, and there’s a lot of growth and failure, and I think that failure I’ve had in the past has set me up for success.”
Ewing credited the Mets organization for helping him build this mindset, adding that even his new teammates in the big leagues have shown him the way to acclimate quickly. Yet there is one in particular, a fellow rookie in Benge, whose presence just might be the biggest help of all.
When Ewing was called up to the majors last week and first entered the Mets clubhouse, it was Benge who was practically attached to the center-fielder’s hip before his debut on May 12.
“We’re pretty tight,” Ewing said of Benge. “We’re teammates, but he’s also one of the best friends I have. I’ve known him for two years now, and we played together a little bit in the minor leagues, so it’s awesome to have that relationship carry up here.”
If all goes to the Mets’ plan, Benge and Ewing, along with superstar slugger Juan Soto, will roam the outfield at Citi Field for the next decade, at least. After a slow start to his big-league career after making the team out of camp, Benge is coming around of late. In his last 13 games, he is batting .367 with a .936 OPS, a home run, eight RBI, two stolen bases, and two walk-off hits.
“Their at-bats have been amazing,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the young duo. “Left on left, taking what the game is giving them, going the other way, driving the baseball. It’s pretty impressive for those guys.”
For more on AJ Ewing and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
