Let’s keep an eye on these three rookies: A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, and Nolan McLean.
Those who vote for the NL Rookie of the Year will find three Mets’ candidates on the ballot: A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, and Nolan McLean. Fans get a chance to cheer for all three. They did that on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field when the trio contributed to the Mets’ 9-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers, giving the New Yorkers their first sweep in what has been a frustrating start to the season.
As the immortal Lou Brown of Major League would say….
The Mets head to the Subway Series this weekend with a three-game winning streak and good vibes. By winning seven of their last ten and eight of their last 12, the kids have given the team hope at 18-25 (after Thursday night’s win), helping fans forget about the Mets’ horrible 10-21 start.
David Sterns has been known to call up highly touted prospects to give the Mets some life. This season, the sweep began when the Mets called up Ewing from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. The team was struggling offensively since the start of the season. So far, Ewing’s impact has been immeasurable in the three games he played. The Mets won all of them based on his contributions.
But the strategy doesn’t always work. Last season, McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong were called up as presumed solutions to the starting pitching woes. Only McLean pitched well. Sproat was okay at best, and Tong seemed overwhelmed against major league hitters.
A.J. Ewing comes through for the Mets (photo courtesy NY Daily News)
That said, it seems to be working for Ewing.
–On Thursday, he hit his first major-league 405-foot home run in the third inning, cutting the Mets’ deficit to 3-1. The Mets responded by scoring two runs in the fourth, three runs in the fifth, and a run apiece in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, including solo home runs by Juan Soto (seventh) and Marcus Seimien (eighth).
–On Wednesday, Ewing scored the game-winning run as the ghost-runner on Benge’s single in the Mets’ 10-inning, 3-2 victory over the Tigers.
–In his major league debut on Tuesday night, Ewing went 1-for-2 with two RBIs—a 7th-inning triple (the first Mets player ever to hit a triple in their major league debut), plus getting a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, to end the night with three walks, a stolen base, and two runs.
Playing with exuberance and confidence, my take is that we’re seeing a star being born in real time.
In 30 games with the Syracuse AAA team, this 2023 fourth-round pick had a slash line of .339/.447/.514 with two homers, nine doubles, two triples, 11 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. Ewing was projected to be called up later this summer based on his body of work in the minors, but it’s easy to see why the Mets liked him this spring training, especially with the bat speed he has displayed in hitting the ball.
Ewing may have “Wally-Pipped” the injured Luis Robert, even if he goes through a slump like most major league hitters do.
Benge, on the other hand, hadn’t had much of an impact before his moment on Wednesday night (3 for 5 with one RBI), other than homering in his Major League debut on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite his struggles, the Mets have not demoted him, indicating their confidence in his abilities. Like Mark Vientos, he draws confidence from it and has the talent to achieve great things.
The bet here is that the team’s patience with him could yield positive results.
McLean continued his success after his call-up in August. After giving up a three-run home run on Thursday to Gage Workman in a 23-pitch first inning, he settled down and pitched six scoreless innings while striking out seven, earning his second win of the season. This is the second time this season that he pitched seven innings.
He’s both a stopper and an ace whom the Mets can trust every fifth day. Since McLean only made eight starts last year, he’s eligible to win the 2026 Rookie of the Year, though one can also make a case that he can be in the running for the Cy Young race, too.
Watching these kids gives the Mets hope. They have given the team a much-needed spark, and the vets feed off that. If it continues, then there’s substance to a turnaround season, not the gimmick-loaded 2024 year with Grimace and Jose Iglesias singing OMG.
There’s one last thing to note–and it’s important, too. Let’s give thanks to former GM Billy Eppler for finding this impressive trio. David Stearns is reaping the benefits of Eppler’s work.
