Mcneil eager to turn page
Utility man looking to get back on track following down year
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — With a new baby, a trip to the All-star game and a batting title, 2022 was a banner year for Jeff Mcneil. Then came 2023.
Mcneil hit just .270, a decent number but not exactly batting-title-worthy. The left-handed hitter tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow in late September and his season ended in disappointment, with the Mets once again sitting out in October.
Now healthy, the Mets’ super-utility man is ready to get back to the hot-hitting version of himself and ready to help the Mets return to the postseason.
“Last year was tough. Not the year we wanted with some high expectations coming in,” Mcneil said Friday at Clover Park. “Definitely unfortunate how the season went. But once the season’s over you’ve kind of got to flush it to focus on this year.”
Mcneil hit plenty last year, but he wasn’t exactly hitting like he did in previous years. His first half TOPS+ of 86 shows that he was producing below what the Mets have become accustomed to from him. The summer was particularly brutal for the “Squirrel,” as he hit only .196 in June and .230 in July.
There was some speculation that the shift restrictions had hurt the one player adept at putting the ball anywhere he wanted to. In theory, it should have helped him by opening up more room on the right side, but slapping it to the opposite field became tougher with fielders often positioned where they weren’t in previous years.
The Mets didn’t blame the new rules, but there was some consideration since his BABIP was down from .353 to .288. Finally, late in the season, Mcneil started to hit like he always did, hitting .305 with 11 doubles, three triples and seven home runs from late July through the rest of the season (61 games).
“I had a bad month maybe during the season, but during the second half, I felt like myself again,” Mcneil said. “I was hitting for a pretty good average and a little bit of power as well. So I’ll get back to what I do best — try to get on base to try to get a higher average. That’s my kind of role on this team.”
The tear in his UCL was only partial, so Mcneil was able to avoid Tommy John surgery with rehab and platelet-rich plasma injections. The elbow has not been a problem when swinging a bat and it wasn’t a problem for him on the golf course this winter either.
Mcneil played in his first celebrity golf tournament, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando last month, and won. He beat out Hall of Fame former LPGA Tour player Annika Sorenstam and former pitcher Derek Lowe for his first celebrity tournament title.
Celebrity winner Jeff Mcneil pops a bottle after finishing the final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions LPGA golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., last month. The medical staff have described it as a “symptom-based” injury and so long as Mcneil feels no symptoms, he’s good to go.
“The doctor said it’s something that may flare up day to day,” Mcneil said. “I might have a day where it’s a little bad, but I’ve been hitting three, four times a week this offseason and didn’t have any problems with it. So I’m really confident with that going into this year.”
Mcneil’s long-term future at second base could be in question with several top infield prospects knocking at the door of the big leagues, most notably Luisangel Acuña, but the club plans to keep him primarily at second base this season with some games in the outfield.
The Mets are deeper in the outfield now with the additions of Harrison Bader (center field) and Tyrone Taylor (all three outfield spots), but Mcneil will see plenty of time in the outfield corners.
“We see him as a second baseman,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “Not a secret. But he also provides versatility and is pretty good in left field. This is a conversation that will be fluid, but for the time being, second base is going to be his position.”