The New York Mets have been emphasizing speed in the minors, and A.J. Ewing and Nick Morabito are two prime examples.
The New York Mets have been emphasizing speed in their minor league system for several years now, and it’s starting to show with some of the prospects in camp right now. This spring the Mets featured a pair of prospects who can get down the line and track down fly balls in a hurry, and A.J. Ewing and Nick Morabito are both on the fast track to make it to Citi Field.
The pair of prospects also worked out together in Tampa, Fla. during the winter, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, so it was only a matter of time before the subject of speed came up.
“He swore he was faster,” Ewing said with a smile when he was asked about this by DiComo. “I swore I was faster. So we don’t know.”
The numbers only add intrigue to the fact that they’ve never actually raced to see who who can break the tape first. Ewing ranked fifth in the minors last season with 70 stolen bases, according to DiComo, and he was caught just 11 times.
But Morabito is no slouch in that department, either. He stole 49 bases in 60 attempts, and MLB Pipeline ranked Morabito as slightly faster last year, but they’re both listed with elite 70-grade speed.
“I don’t know, we’re both pretty fast,” Morabito said. “He did have 70 steals last year. I just hope we both get as many steals as possible. That’s my answer.”
Speed isn’t just about stealing bases, though, and they can both use their legs in other ways. In this week's 2-0 Spring Breakout game loss to the prospects from the Tampa Bay Rays, Morabito reached on a throwing error that he helped force with his speed, while Ewing also drew a pickoff throw seconds after he laced a single up the middle.
“It’s a huge part of both their games,” Mets senior vice president of player development Andy Green said. “Nick … he can really run. And A.J.’s right there with him. They both turned it into a lot of stolen bases last year.”
The idea of using speed is considered a very retro concept in today’s game, it’s still essential. Solo home runs don’t win games; it takes traffic on the bases, and the pressure speed puts on the opposing defense is a huge bonus. Ewing and Morabito will both start this season in the upper minors, but don’t be surprised if they at least make a cameo at Citi Field later this year.