MCNEIL ON A POWER TRIP!
He’s out to show he can hit more HRs along with trying to win batting title
Jeff McNeil doesn’t want to be tagged exclusively as a player who hits for average. He also doesn’t want to be defined solely as a power hitter. He can be both.
For a moment last season, McNeil was the favorite to win the National League batting title. An August injury set him back enough that he ran out of time to catch up to Christian Yelich, who won the title for the second straight year with a .329 average. McNeil finished fourth, behind Anthony Rendon, with .318.
But McNeil also started hitting for power about halfway through the season. He crushed 16 home runs in the second half, compared to seven in the first. Last year, Mets hitting coach Chili Davis credited his sudden uptick in dingers to “just being Mac,” which is another way of saying McNeil’s natural hitting ability and tendency not to overthink his approach sometimes leads to more home runs.
“Last year, in the second half, I didn’t really change anything,” Mc-
Neil said. “The ball just started to go over the fence a little bit more. This year, I came in a little bit stronger, a little bit bigger. I’m still not going to change my approach up there. I’m going to go up there and try to put the ball in play, try to set the table for big hitters like Yo [Cespedes] and Pete [Alonso] and JD [Davis] and [Michael] Conforto — all those guys hitting behind me. My job is to get on base and if the homers are there, it’s a bonus.”
McNeil will again try to win the batting title this year. But for now, he’s busy getting used to the new COVID-19 protocols at Citi Field.
He had a ton of questions during his first day at Mets camp: What’s allowed and what’s not? How many people in the weight room? Nearly a week into summer training, things are becoming more routine.
“Day one was weird … Now it’s becoming normal,” he said. “We understand what we can and can’t do. Just to social distance whenever we can, try to stay as far away from players as possible. It’s becoming more normal. We’re able to get our work in and get prepared for the season.”
McNeil was spotted on Wednesday sitting in the stands behind home plate by himself, eating lunch and watching his teammates take batting practice. McNeil is still familiarizing his taste buds with the food at Citi Field, which he said can be hit or miss these days. Count Brandon Nimmo as another Mets player who is not yet used to the dining set-up and ensuing distancing guidelines.
“The food is a little bit different,” McNeil said. “We can’t really go in there. It’s not cafeteria-style. They have a few options for us. Just go in there and hopefully there’s something that you like, and if not you’re going to Uber Eats something later.”
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS … FOR 2021
Major League Baseball released team schedules Thursday for the 2021 season. While that might be hard to wrap your head around in light of this year’s challenging season, there are some noteworthy highlights on the Mets’ schedule.
The Amazins will open the season on April 1 against the Nationals in Washington D.C. They will end the season on Oct. 3 on the road in Atlanta against the Braves, completing what looks like a tough end to the schedule. The Mets will play the Nationals, Yankees, Red Sox and Brewers in Sept. 2021. The All-Star break is scheduled for July 12-15.
The Mets will host the Yankees at Citi Field on Sept. 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of
the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. It’s sure to be an emotional night in the Big Apple and a nod to MLB for this thoughtful scheduling. The Mets will also play the Yankees in the Bronx during the Fourth of July weekend.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME
The Mets are among many teams this year that will blare pre-recorded crowd noise through stadium speakers in the absence of fans at the ballpark. Player walk-up songs prior to at-bats will continue, as well. It’s a smart solution as players have said they will sorely miss the energy and noise fans provide at Citi Field. The Mets will do their part in trying to make up for the eerie silence, but it is still sure to be an adjustment for players this season.