How Mets' DJ Stewart revitalized his career, and is making a push for 2024 roster

Over the last month of the major league baseball season, he has heard chants of his name and M-V-P at Citi Field.

It's not Pete Alonso or Francisco Lindor.

It's DJ Stewart.

In his sixth major league season, the 29-year-old outfielder is working through the most special stretch of his career with the Mets. The deadline dealings of Mark Canha and Tommy Pham opened the door for Stewart to receive regular playing time with the Mets. He has seized the opportunity.

Since Aug. 15, Stewart has been the most productive offensive force in the Mets' lineup, slashing .308/.370/.703 with 10 home runs, 23 RBI, 16 runs and six doubles.

The banner day came on Aug. 30 when Stewart homered twice, collected a walk-off hit by pitch and made a game-saving catch, colliding into the wall in right field. That's when fans truly began to take notice.

"The night when I hit the two home runs and they’re chanting my name, it’s kind of a surreal moment where all those hard times that you’ve gone through, you get those little wins," Stewart told NorthJersey.com. "It feels really good."

That grand performance, which will live on in Mets lore, was the product of the numerous adjustments that Stewart has made to showcase the pop that made him a first-round pick in 2015. It's been a journey to get back to MLB after unsteady performances in his first four seasons and injuries over the last two, but Stewart appears to have something he can grasp to make a long-term stay in the big leagues.

"At any moment, he could leave the yard, he could walk, he could give us a really big at-bat," Mets hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said. "I think it’s just the level of consistency that he’s been able to provide to our lineup since he’s been up here. You can just pencil him in for a quality at-bat. He may not get a hit, but you know he’s gonna go up there and give you a pretty good at-bat."

DJ Stewart's toe tap

When Stewart joined the Orioles' minor-league system out of Florida State in 2015, he was in a very low crouch in the batter's box. Coaches immediately wanted to mold his batting stance, and Stewart was receptive.

Slowly his swing has evolved, with mixed results. The left-handed hitter broke through under Buck Showalter with the Orioles in 2018 and had three home runs and 10 RBI in his first 17 major-league games, but batted just .211 in 175 games over his next three seasons.

"Obviously, early on in my career, I went through a lot of struggles that at the time I felt like I would never get out of them," Stewart said. "But looking back at them now, I’m fortunate for them because I’m the player now that I am. I know how to deal with success. I know how to deal with failures."

After signing a minor league deal in February, something clicked for Stewart in Triple-A Syracuse. After feeling like he was lunging at the ball, a toe-tap drill helped him stay behind the ball. He added that move to his swing. In Syracuse, Stewart was slashing .226/.362/.516 with 16 home runs, 41 RBI and 51 runs.

"A big thing was the toe tap, making sure that he’s getting into his back hip and loading properly," Barnes said. "The other big thing is just making sure that our path is on point. At times, we can kind of get in and out of the zone and that can lead to some mishits. Just trying to make sure that our path is clean and that the barrel is staying in the zone as long as possible because he’s a big strong guy that can hit the ball hard."

In 48 games, he has a .923 OPS with 11 home runs, 26 RBI and 19 runs. He is batting a career high .265. Stewart's expected weight on-base average (wxOBA) is .364 with an expected slugging percentage of .517.

Hitting left-handers

One area where Stewart has tried to better equip himself has been against left-handed pitching.

For the last two months, Stewart has only hit off a left-hander during batting practice. While he's 4-for-24 (.167) with one home run and five RBI against lefties this season, Stewart believes that has helped his approach from both sides of the plate.

"Honestly, I hit off him every single day. I don’t hit off a righty for BP at all," Stewart said. "I’m just trying to work on my swing, stay up the middle and go opposite field. It seems to simplify my swing for me."

Barnes said there have been times when Stewart has pulled off against southpaws rather than driving through the zone, but he has gotten into better body position at the plate with the adjustments to his mechanics and preparation.

"I think he’s been a really good example of a talented player that’s gotten information about the game and has a tailored a very good routine and practice plan around that," Barnes said.

Earning the respect of the clubhouse

On Friday and again on Monday, Stewart found himself in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, batting between Lindor and Alonso. With his best stretch of his career, he has earned the respect of Showalter when he puts out the lineup.

"I’m in between those two guys, superstars in this game, and I’m not going to try to be anyone different than DJ, just do my job, get on base for Pete before me or drive in Frankie if he’s on base in front of me," Stewart said before Friday's game. "It’s a team game. We all go together."

Stewart finished the night with two hits and a run. He admitted that his time with the Mets has gone better than he could have expected, but he also joined the organization with the goal of helping them reach the playoffs.

For Stewart, one of the most encouraging things about his stint in New York has been earning the respect of his teammates. The question now might be how long he can sustain this success, but he may have earned a chance to be in the mix in the Mets' outfield moving forward.

"My family loves New York. I really like it here," Stewart said. "They welcomed me with open arms. I’m very fortunate for this opportunity and kind of just running with it."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: DJ Stewart: How NY Mets player is pushing for roster spot in 2024