Player Data: Age: 29 (4/8/1992), B/T: L/R

Primary Stats: 120 G, 426 PA, .249 BA, .317 OBP, .458 SLG, .674 OPS, 96 H, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 29 BB, 58 SO

Advanced Stats: 91 wRC+, 13.6% K%, 6.8% BB%, .276 BABIP, .298 xwOBA, 0.5 fWAR, 1.5 bWAR

2021 Salary: $642,251

Grade: C+

2021 Review

After putting together three consecutive seasons hitting over .300 to start his career, expectations were high for Jeff McNeil going into 2021. In his last full season of games (2019), McNeil earned an All-Star selection, posted a 143 OPS+, and connected on 23 home runs.

But 2021 told a new story for McNeil, that can best be defined by the word “inconsistency.” Some months, McNeil seemed absolutely lost at the plate, while others he played like one of the best contact hitters in the league.

While batting average is far from the most telling stat, the highs and lows in his month-by-month numbers is too glaring to ignore.

April: .203
May: .302
June: .206
July: .351
August: .187
September/October: .249

While McNeil played like an above-average major leaguer in May, and especially in July, every other month brought struggles for a player with so much potential entering this year.

By the end of April, McNeil was hitting just .203, but more surprisingly, he didn’t register any games at all with multiple base hits. But by May 2, he seemed to have found his approach again, going 4-for-6 with a double and two runs scored in a win over the Phillies. After extending his hitting streak to three games on May 16, McNeil was placed on the injured list with a hamstring injury. He remained sidelined until late June, taking a month of playing time away in a season that had already got off to a rough start before the injury.

Entering July hitting just .235/.320/.331, McNeil exploded in July for one of the best months of any Met all season. As the Mets remained in first place all month, McNeil kept pace at the plate, the highlight being a 16-game hitting streak. While the streak ended on the last day of July, McNeil ended the month with nine multi-hit games as well. His lengthy hitting streak ended up being tied for fifth-longest in the National League this season.

July also saw McNeil collect his first walk-off RBI, with a bases-loaded single to win the game against the Brewers.

Despite beginning August with a home run, McNeil would revert to his April-numbers for most of the remaining portion of the schedule. From August 1 until the season’s end, McNeil posted an on-base percentage of just .267, connecting on a mere two home runs and striking out 28 times.

As the Mets tried to climb back into first place in the division in mid-September, McNeil put together one of the better games of his season, even as the rest of the lineup continued to struggle. On September 15 against St. Louis, McNeil went 3-for-4, falling just a homer shy of the first Mets cycle since 2012.

Just a few days later, he’d connect for his seventh and final home run of the season, adding to his impressive resume against the Phillies on the year. But the season ended for McNeil in a way that sums up his year all too well, unfortunately. In meaningless games as the Mets were already eliminated, McNeil went just 1-for-14 in his final seven games, walking twice, and striking out four times.

Defensively, McNeil provided value in his versatility. While primarily a second baseman for most of the season, he made the shift to left field once Javier Báez took over at that position. McNeil even got a few innings at third base, a position he had played infrequently during his previous years with the Mets. He was worth four outs above average (OAA) at second base, and one OAA in left field. While his defense was not necessarily highlight worthy or eye-popping, the fact that he could man multiple spots efficiently on the infield was much needed for a Mets team that dealt with injuries throughout the year.

There’s no denying that McNeil had short stints of success this season as a Met. But his overall inconsistency and overall lack of reaching preseason expectations lead to this C+ grade. His double-digit game hitting streak aside, McNeil was one of the Mets most significant under-performers this year, especially compared to his 2019 numbers.

2022 Outlook

McNeil is eligible for arbitration this winter for the first time in his career. According to MLB Trade Rumors, his projected salary is $2.8M. Regardless of the final number, McNeil should be back next season in some role — but his position will all depend on what other free agent decisions the Mets make. If Báez is back, then McNeil will likely primarily play left field again. But if Javy signs elsewhere, then that leaves two doors open for McNeil: left field or third base.

Given that Michael Conforto‘s status with the Mets is unknown for next year, as well as the Mets possible plans to bring on another free agent outfielder, McNeil may end up playing third base full time in 2022. This is also pending on if J.D. Davis is back in Queens next year. Clearly, there are a lot of other moves that will impact McNeil’s role on the Mets next season, but barring some unexpected trade, he should slot in near the bottom third of the Mets order come Opening Day 2022.