By Mark Halpern
Picture it Queens 2018; a young 2nd baseman is promoted from AAA to the majors to become a staple in the Mets organization. Jeff Mcneil has done the same thing every day he steps out onto the ball field, and that is to give his team the best shot to win the game no matter what the cost. Jeff McNeil is 30 years old and really in the prime of his baseball career, and this year he has returned to the 2019 version of himself. The Mets have plenty of Mega and Superstars, and Jeff is just one of those stars in this constellation. This Mets team is special with Alonso, Lindor, Marte, McNeil, Nimmo, Scherzer, and DeGrom, and in the minors, the Mets have three young studs ready to make their big league arrival. McNeil is just one cog in a giant machine, but he has been the Mets unsung hero, in my opinion.
In Jeff’s first three seasons with the Mets, his batting average was .319, his OPS .868, his slugging percentage was .485, his OBP was .382, and his play in the field was pretty flawless. You look at those numbers, and you see an above-average ball player who doesn’t get the recognition and spotlight a player like that should get. However, with every up, there is a down, and for McNeil, 2021 was his downfall. All those stats that i mentioned above dropped better than half a point across the board. He was very injury ridden and was also learning to play the outfield because the Mets had traded with the Mariners, which brought Robinson Cano to play second (A colossal failure, in my opinion). At the time, the Mets had no interest in trading McNeil, and thank goodness they didn’t.
This year from the start of spring training to the moment I am writing this, you hear his name much more than ever. The Jeff McNeil we all came to love has returned. Jeff has come to a complete 180-degree turnaround. Through the first half of this year, he is slashing .300/.452/.816 also to go along with four home runs, 38 runs scored, and 35 rbi’s. These are the type of stats the Mets need from a player like McNeil. Consistency is always better than power in this case.
McNeil hasn’t shown off the power on home runs, but that doesn’t matter if he is producing offense in other ways. He is not super-fast, but he runs the bases well. Jeff has two stolen bases on the year, and again he is doing this to help this team win. His play in the outfield has been good, but not as good when he plays second, in my opinion. Jeff hustles not only on the base paths, but he lays his body out for any ball that is close and is not afraid to go for those long outfield catches that he might hit the wall. Jeff is the type of player all teams want. He plays hard every game, he doesn’t make excuses when he is slumping (which happens to all of us), and he is one of the most indispensable and irreplaceable Mets on the current roster. Jeff earned his way on the all-star team this year originally as an alternate, but due to injuries of some players, he got to start alongside Alonso. Also, right before the all-star break, he and his wife welcomed a new baby boy, and they brought their little bundle of joy to the event. Jeff took pictures on the national stage with his wife and child with him, and the smiles were ear to ear.
I genuinely hope Jeff keeps this up and, if he does, will be a featured piece of the Mets organization for years to come.
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