Jeff McNeil has been one of Mets’ biggest underperformance of the first half of the 2024 season, but his performance on Friday against the Miami Marlins could be a sign that there is still life in the former batting champion’s bat.
McNeil, who entered Friday’s game batting .216 with just five home runs and 24 RBI, gave the Mets a run in their series-opening loss to the Marlins. The second baseman/outfielder went 3-for-4 with two home runs while driving in three runs.
Of the Mets’ eight hits, he was responsible for three and drove in three of the team’s four runs. It was also McNeil’s first multi-homer game since 2019.
“He knows he’s a good hitter,” Mets manager said Carlos Mendoza said after the game. “Today, him going to midfield and moving to the left on the left the way he is carrying the ball is a good sign. And going there to get some results is good for him and it will be good for us too.”
“I felt good at the plate. Seeing the ball well, I feel like I’ve seen the ball well the last few weeks,” McNeil said. “Hitting some hard balls that aren’t getting through. It’s good to have some success tonight.”
Maybe the All-Star break was what McNeil needed. He said he just relaxed with his family and played golf — of course — but also said he changed his approach at the plate. Instead of “targeting” pitches, he’s swinging to do damage.
Something he has been working on over the last few weeks.
“Just trying to impact the baseball, get good swings at it, not trying to target the ball or make contact,” McNeil explained. “Try to make a good pitch and hit a good swing and let the results take care of themselves.”
McNeil explained in 2022 when they attacked him he would hit the ball where the defenders weren’t, but since then he has been “aiming” for the ball, which he believes has affected his swing.
“I feel like I’m trying to hit linedrives and keep the ball out of the air,” he continued. “Your swing gets a little messed up when you try to guide the ball. Lately, I’ve been trying to hit the ball wherever it’s going to be thrown and hit it hard.”
In 2022, McNeil had 174 hits to bat .326 with nine home runs. His hitting numbers have since declined, to the point where he has become a platoon player this season. However, in his last seven games, including Friday, McNeil is 7-for-20 (.350) with two home runs and seven RBI.
Does Friday mean this is something we can expect from McNeil from now on? It’s too early to say, but the prospect of a batting champion, batting evenly, at the bottom of the order intrigues Mendoza.
“We’ve been talking about our lineup being deep and if you add a guy like that who’s not too far off from beating a batting champion batting at the bottom of the order. This is only going to make our lineup that much better,” Mendoza said. “He’s been a big part of this time and it’s good to see him get some results now.”
When McNeil was asked if his problem with “steering” the ball was something he had faced in the past, the former batting champion said he didn’t know. He said he’s always tinkering and making adjustments to the base, but he’s happy with the results so far.
“I hope I can take advantage of tonight to start a good second half,” he said.
