A.J. Ewing Shines in Mets Debut Win Over Tigers

Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images

May 12, 2026

Mets 10, Tigers 2

Prospect A.J. Ewing made his major league debut for the New York Mets and played a key role in the 10–2 blowout win over the Detroit Tigers. At Citi Field on Tuesday, Ewing was the center of attention and rose to the occasion, reaching base four times and driving in two runs. His moment came on a triple he hit in the seventh inning, becoming the first Met to do so in their debut. As Ewing stole the show, Freddy Peralta recorded seven strikeouts in six innings. He gave up the only two runs of the game alongside seven hits on a 3.10 ERA.

Mets Jump Ahead

After a scoreless first inning, Dillon Dingler sent Peralta’s pitch over the left field wall for a solo home run. Wenceel Perez lined a shallow single past the Mets before Gage Workman hit a double to left field. Spencer Torkelson scored Perez on a sacrifice fly, putting the Tigers ahead 2–0.

However, Jack Flaherty walked MJ Melendez to start the second. Brett Baty hit a single to right field, as A.J. Ewing battled through a seven-pitch first at bat. Flaherty, ultimately, walked the 21-year-old to load the bases. Francisco Alvarez hit into a force play to score Melendez.

Bo Bichette started the third with a single to right field. Juan Soto lined a single to the same spot, as Mark Vientos scored Bichette on a game-tying RBI single. An inning later, Ewing flied out, only for Alvarez to hit a deep double to center field. Carson Benge smacked an RBI single to score Alavarez and the go-ahead run. This made it a 3–2 ballgame after four innings.

Scoring at Will

With his team ahead by one, Ewing walked to base in the sixth. He then swiped second, as Luis Torrens reached on a walk. Benge booted a single to second before Bichette hit into a force out that scored Torrens. An error by Workman brought Ewing home, as Soto hit into a force play to score Benge.

The Mets led 6–2 entering the seventh, before Baty hit a single to start the inning. Ewing hit the ball to deep right field, making it to third for an RBI triple on his first career hit. As he scored Baty, Torrens hit a shallow RBI single to score Ewing.

In the eighth, Soto and Vientos each hit a shallow single. Austin Slater reached base on an error, moments before Ricky Vanasco dropped the ball on a fielding error that Soto scored off. Marcus Semien lined a single to the infield, then Ewing walked for a third and final time to score Vientos. His impressive first outing gave the Mets a comfortable eight-run lead, allowing Alex Warren to seal their 16th win of the year in a turbulent ninth inning.

What Went Right for the Mets

A.J. Ewing gave the Mets emphasis, speed and contact in his debut. He led all batters with two RBI, three walks and an extra base hit. Benge, Bichette, Soto, and Vientos recorded an RBI. Soto, Vientos, Benge, and Baty each had two hits, as they accounted for eight of the team’s 13 total hits. Peralta came back from an ugly second inning to end with seven strikeouts and keep the Tigers off the board.

What Went Wrong for the Mets

Alvarez left the game during the middle of the sixth inning due to an apparent right leg injury that he sustained during an at-bat. The team said he will undergo imaging on Wednesday. This can be another blow to the Mets’ injury-ridden lineup, because Alvarez was hitting .236 with four home runs and nine RBI. He also held a seven-game hitting streak before the start of this series.

Looking Ahead

A.J. Ewing made an excellent first impression in his debut. More is to come for the once highly coveted prospect, with the Mets facing the Tigers in game two of the three-game series on Wednesday. Christian Scott will start for the Mets against Framber Valdez for the Tigers. The game is scheduled to start from Citi Field at 7:10 pm Eastern.