DJ Stewart: Mets Outfielder (2023 - 2024)

Demetrius Jerome Stewart was born November 30th, 1993, in Gainsville, Florida. His father Reggie was drafted by the San Diego Padres & played minor league ball nwever getting to the majors.

He attended high school in Jacksonville where he played both baseball & football. Originally, he was drafted by the AL New York team but did not sign. Instead, he chose to attend Florida State University playing baseball for the Seminoles.

Florida State: In his first year with the Seminoles, he hit .364 & followed in his sophomore year getting voted Atlantic Coast Player of the Year & All-American. After three seasons he was the Baltimore Orioles first round draft pick in 2016. In 2019 he was named to the Seminoles baseball All- Decade team.

MLB Carrer: In 2018 he was brought up as a September call up playing for manager
Buck Showalter, debuting in a 10-0 loss at Oakland. 

On September 13th, he hit his first career HR, a solo shot off the Blue Jays Marco Estrada in a 2-1 win over Toronto. In his next game, he homered off New York's David Robertson in a 10-8 loss. He would add another HR that month as well. In 17 games he hit 3 HRs & 10 RBIs batting .250.

The next year he was brought up in late May but was sent back down a week later. He returned in August & in his second game back suffered an injury. On August 6th, he misjudged a Mike Ford fly ball & dove too early getting hit in the head with the ball giving him a concussion. He missed almost two weeks of action before he could return. On the season in 44 games he hit 4 HRs with 15 RBIs.

After the Covid-19 shortened season, he returned in 2021 to have his most productive season & see the most playing time of his career. In 100 games he hit 12 HRs with 10 doubles & 33 RBIs but batted just .204. The following year he was designated for assignment after just three games, cleared waivers & was sent to AAA Norfolk where he hit .256 in 29 games. 

Mets Career: In February 2023, most likely due to his past relationship in Baltimore, playing for manager Buck Showalter, Stewart signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He started the season at AAA Syracuse batting .229 in 51 games there.

With the Mets struggling at the big-league level, Stewart was brought up to the Mets on July 4th.
In his Mets debut, he was brought in to pinch run then stayed in the game & collected a sac fly RBI in a 8-5 win in Arizona.

On July 18th, Stewart hit his first Mets HR, coming off the White Sox Lucas Giolito in an 11-10 win at Citi Field. At the trade deadline the Mets traded Mark Canha &Tommy Pham, allowing Stewart to work his way into the line up.

In a seven-game span from August 13th to August 21st, he hit .348 with 5 HRs & 10 RBIs.

Multi HR Game: On August 16th, in an 8-3 win over the Pirates at Citi Field, Stewart had a
multi-HR game. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, he homered off Johan Oviedo & then in the 5th inning, hit a two-run shot off Ryan Boruck.

On August 19th, Stewart hit a solo HR off the Cardinals Mike Mikolas in a 13-2 win at Citi Field. Two games later he hit his 6th HR of the year, the fifth that week in a 10-4 win over the Braves.

Stewart closed out the month hitting three HRs in a series with the eventual World Champion Texas Rangers. 

Multi HR & Walk Off Hit by Pitch Game: On August 30th, after losing the first two games, the
Mets were trying to salvage at least one win in the series with the Rangers. In the bottom of the 2nd, Stewart followed Daniel Vogelbach, going back-to-back with HRs off Duane Dunning. Later in the bottom of the 8th, with the Mets down 5-3, Stewart hit a game tying, two run HR off Jose Leclerc. 

In the top of the 9th, the big guy made a running catch crashing into the right field wall holding onto the ball & saving the game. In the bottom of the 10th, with the bases loaded Stewart was hit with a pitch from Aroldis Chapman, allowing Jeff McNeil to score the game winning run.

On September 2nd, in an 8-7 loss at Seattle, Stewart hit a three run HR off Luis Castillo for his tenth HR of the year.

On September 10th, in a scoreless tie in the top of the 9th inning at Minnesota, Stewart doubled off Griffin Jax driving in the only two runs of the game in a combined Mets shut out.

On the season, in 58 games he was one of the few pleasant surprises for the 2023 Mets, he batted .244 with 11 HRs 9 doubles & 26 RBIs, posting a .333 on base% & .840 OPS. In 48 games in the outfield, he made just one error & had one assist with a .988 fielding %.

His strong output had the Mets give him a one year deal for 2024.

Quotes- DJ Stewart: " I love New York, I really enjoy being here. My family enjoys it. I'm hoping I do enough to stay here."

Family: DJ is married to Brooke Stewart, who is a nurse at Baptist Hospital in the Jacksonville area. Together they have one daughter.