Player Data: Age: 30 (4/8/1992), B/T: L/R
Traditional Stats: 148 G, 589 PA, 533 AB, .326/.382/.454/.836, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 40 BB, 61 SO
Advanced Stats: 143 wRC+, 10.4% K%, 6.8% BB%, .353 BABIP, .323 xwOBA, 5.9 fWAR, 5.7 bWAR
2022 Salary: $3 million
Grade: A+
2022 Review
Looking back at the 2022 New York Mets, a team etched in the franchise’s 60 year history as one of the best, no one is deserving of more praise than Jeff McNeil. On a team filled with talent including Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor, McNeil made a case as arguably the most important and productive member of the team.
McNeil had an uncharacteristically poor 2021 season in which he batted .251/.319/.360/.679 with 7 home runs and 35 RBIs through 426 plate appearances. This down year led to a lot of discussion among Mets fans and media about whether McNeil would or should be traded. Instead, the Mets decided to keep him, believing his 2021 season to be a fluke.
Right from the start of the 2022 season, McNeil looked like he was back to being the elite contact hitter he was prior to 2021. After going the entire 2021 season without a month batting over .300, McNeil strung together three straight months from April-June in which he batted .328, .311, and .339 respectively, with an OPS eclipsing .800 in each of those months as well.
July was a tumultuous month for McNeil, who experienced his first extended slump of the season. His .319 batting average at the beginning of the month would creep all the way down to .294 by the month’s end. In 21 games in July, he batted .208/.274/.299/.573. Still, his strong first half of the season was enough to be named a National League All-Star for the second time in his career. Even better, he was named the National League starter at second base, the first Met to start in the All-Star Game since David Wright in 2013.
One way to describe McNeil’s performance in August would be resilient. After experiencing by far his worst month of the season, McNeil turned it around by producing by far his best month of the season. His August was nothing short of spectacular, as he slashed .385/.414/.560/.973 in 29 games.
His September and October were much of the same. In 31 games from September 1 through the end of the season, he batted .357/.425/.452/.878. During a time when the NL East divisional race was growing tighter and more stressful, McNeil continued to produce. From September 23 through October 4, a span of ten games that were of the utmost importance, McNeil recorded a hit in every game and slashed .465/.500/.651/1.151. In eight out of the ten games, McNeil recorded two or more hits.
This final surge to end the regular season pushed McNeil’s batting average up to .326, just enough to beat Freddie Freeman for the National League and Major League batting titles. McNeil became the first Met since Jose Reyes in 2011 to win the National League batting title, and the first Met ever to win the Major League batting title.
Along with his expertise at the plate, McNeil flashed the glove quite a bit for the Mets this past season. His 8 OAA at second base was tied for fifth in the Major Leagues. In addition to playing second base, McNeil provided invaluable defensive flexibility as he played a considerable amount of left field and right field as well. While he may not be known as a defensive wizard like Francisco Lindor or Luis Guillorme, McNeil routinely made tough plays look easy this year, and that solidified him as a great defensive player.
Jeff McNeil’s 2022 season was simply brilliant. Whether it be with his bat or his glove, he was a pivotal piece to the Mets’ success this year and is one of only a few deserving of an A+ grade.
2023 Outlook
As of now, McNeil figures to be the everyday second baseman for the Mets in 2023. This could change depending on a few possible scenarios that could occur this offseason.
If the Mets fail to retain Brandon Nimmo and do not sign another starting outfielder in free agency, we could see Starling Marte move to center field and McNeil perhaps play a role in right field. This could allow the Mets to sign somebody like Trea Turner to be the team’s second baseman. However, McNeil is more comfortable and more natural at second base, so we could see the Mets go after someone such as Aaron Judge to play in the outfield, which would keep McNeil at second base.
McNeil is under team control for the next two seasons, so he will once again be a major presence on the Mets next season. He will be turning 31 at the beginning of the season, so it will be interesting to see whether his age causes him to decline or whether he can build off of his elite 2022 season.
