Mets rookie second baseman Jeff McNeil made his Major League debut on July 24. He appeared as a pinch-hitter, and in his first at-bat he recorded his first hit with a single. Since then, McNeil has taken advantage of every opportunity thrown at him, and hasn’t looked back.
McNeil is tied for the second-most hits on the team with 38 since making his debut. He also leads the team with a .383 on-base percentage and a .317 batting average, and is tied with Todd Frazier for the team lead with a .467 slugging percentage in that span.
With two more hits, and a pair of RBI’s in the Mets 4-1 win over the Giants on Sunday, McNeil has now reached base safely in each of his last 17 starts dating back to August 13.
Over the past month, McNeil’s game has often drawn comparisons to that of former Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy. According to Mike Puma of the NY Post the rookie has embraced those comparisons.
“I played with Murphy a good amount in the minor leagues when he was rehabbing. He has good ball-to-bat skills and power, so I can see that,” McNeil told Puma.
Though McNeil realizes he has a ways to go before he comes close to matching Murphy’s level of play, through Murphy’s game he sees the potential of what his can become.
“If I can do that for the rest of my career I will be happy,” McNeil said.
Much like Murph, McNeil has a short and easy swing and is a pest at the plate. He makes it tough for pitchers to adjust to him, as he swings early in the count. Since joining the Mets, he has been a tough-out and consistently puts together quality at-bats.
”I take a lot of pride in that. I’m definitely trying to be the hardest out that I can be up there,” McNeil told reporters.
Defensively, McNeil has shown that he can play a serviceable second base in the big leagues. Earlier in the month, he was having a bit of trouble with the double play ball. He put in extra work, and of late he has looked a lot more comfortable in the field.
Veteran third baseman Todd Frazier praised McNeil, and the way he approaches the game. “He’s gritty, and he is learning.. He is playing the game the right way, and he just loves the game,” Frazier told Puma.
McNeil has slotted in very well at the top of the order, creating a one-two punch with his speedy middle infield counterpart, Amed Rosario.
Moving forward, the Mets should certainly leave McNeil in the two spot where he has settled in nicely. Being the contact hitter that he is, McNeil should serve as an excellent table-setter for the Mets big bats in 2019.
