MIAMI — Jeff McNeil has stopped trying to, as he put it, aim the ball.
That’s big. That’s progress. Because for so long McNeil has tried to guide the ball when he hits, direct it to an unoccupied space somewhere on the field.
It worked in 2022, when he won the National League batting title and the New York Mets rewarded the second baseman/corner outfielder with a four-year extension.
But it hasn’t worked much since, with extreme shifts outlawed and holes filled up with fielders. McNeil entered the All-Star break slashing just .216/.276/.314.
Hitting ’em where they ain’t sounds good until it feels like they’re everywhere. Now, McNeil said, the only thing he is aiming for is hard contact.
“I feel your swing gets a little bit messed up once you’re trying to guide the ball,” he said. “If you’re trying to guide the ball out there, it’s tough. Lately, I’ve been trying to hit the ball wherever it’s pitched and hit it hard.”
The change has led to better results. In an otherwise lackluster 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday night to open the second half, McNeil went 3-for-4 with two home runs. It was his first two-homer game since Sept. 11, 2019.
Crushed. 🍎@JeffMcNeil805 | #LGM pic.twitter.com/0vISqcOeCW
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 20, 2024
McNeil and the Mets will now see if the revised approach continues to yield production.
What if it does?
What if McNeil rebounds?
That would be huge for the Mets, manager Carlos Mendoza said, and he’s right. The Marlins stymied the Mets’ bats Friday, but New York’s offense has led MLB in OPS (.826) since June. The Mets have a deep lineup. If McNeil’s going right, his presence in the bottom of the order as a left-handed batter — the Mets appear a tad light on that side — makes the entire order, one through nine, formidable.
Friday, McNeil was the only regular with an OPS+ below 100 (which is average). Before the game, his OPS+ checked in at 74, way lower than the second-worst figure, 110, belonging to center fielder Harrison Bader, who typically bats ninth.
A turnaround for McNeil would come at a good time. The Mets are 49-47 with the July 30 trade deadline less than two weeks away. Continuing to play well could persuade the front office to further buy into the team’s chances and make additions. Also, though the bullpen looms as the Mets’ biggest concern, the outfield or bench could be areas that need at least a small upgrade — unless McNeil can carry success from Friday into a meaningful stretch.
Starling Marte, the Mets’ everyday right fielder, has been on the injured list because of a bone bruise in his right knee since June 25. Since then, the Mets’ right fielders — a combination of Tyrone Taylor, D.J. Stewart and McNeil, mostly — have produced a .624 OPS, better than just three teams at the position during that span. The position has produced just a -0.1 fWAR, also better than only three other teams. Marte remains out without a concrete timetable; he just started hitting off a tee and playing catch, Mendoza said.
As the Mets wait on Marte, their best alignment probably includes veteran Jose Iglesias at second base with McNeil in right field. Friday night, McNeil also robbed a home run.
That’s if McNeil continues to hit, of course. For someone like McNeil, who has slumped through 323 plate appearances over the first three-plus months of the season, that’s a significant “if.”
But Mets coaches have worked with McNeil for a while now on helping him quit “aiming” balls and focusing on hard contact. According to club officials, that was part of their plan when they began benching McNeil in favor of Iglesias last month. Perhaps changes for someone accustomed to a certain way of hitting take time. And it’s worth noting that McNeil performed better after the All-Star break last year, too, with a .659 OPS in the first half compared with a .775 OPS in the second half. After such a dismal and odd individual season in 2024, McNeil’s performance Friday night was at least encouraging for the Mets and potentially important.
Over the past couple of weeks, Mendoza has said he thought McNeil was making progress offensively, even if the results weren’t there. Mendoza has pointed to more hard contact, poor luck and better overall at-bats. The numbers back up Mendoza. Since Marte’s last game on June 22, only third baseman Mark Vientos (44.9 percent) has a higher hard-hit rate on the Mets than McNeil (43.1 percent), according to FanGraphs.
Despite the loss, Mendoza cracked a smile after the game when asked about McNeil, but he also didn’t sound shocked.
“He’s a professional hitter,” Mendoza said before the game. “We like what we’re seeing lately.”
They’d just like to see it continue.
(Photo of Jeff McNeil, right, with Jose Iglesias: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
