New York Mets utility man Jeff McNeil had quite a day on Saturday versus the Washington Nationals. After going 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, and two RBI in the Mets 11-8 win over the Nats, it shouldn’t have mattered who was pitching for the Nats on Sunday or his pitching dexterity — McNeil should have been in the lineup.
Apparently, due to a previously scheduled day off, Mets skipper Mickey Callaway felt it would be better to give the 26-year-old left-handed hitter a breather instead of allowing him to face arguably the cream of the crop among southpaw starters in the majors, Washington’s Patrick Corbin.
Over 62 plate appearances against major league left-handers last season, McNeil slashed .281/.339/.474 with four doubles, two triples, a homer, four RBI, and just six strikeouts. Jeff McNeil appears to be ready to handle himself against major league lefties. Clearly, Callaway wasn’t ready to find out, instead choosing to give McNeil a Sunday respite with Corbin on the mound. And that is, at least from the fans’ perspective, disappointing.
The California native had one of the more surprising (for some) breakout seasons in recent memory last year for the Mets. After making his major league debut on July 24, immediately after the team traded away their incumbent second baseman, Asdrubal Cabrera, to the Phillies, McNeil hit the ground running and barely took a second to look back.
Over 248 plate appearances, he slashed .329/.381/.471 with 11 doubles, six triples, three homers, 19 RBI, seven swiped bags, and an outlandish — and awfully impressive — .368 weighted on-base average and 137 weighted runs created plus rating. Throw in his measly 9.7 percent strikeout rate, and, folks, the New York Mets appeared to have themselves a hitter.
After hitting .333/.362/.576 with three doubles, four homers, and nine RBI over 54 Grapefruit League plate appearances this spring, and after having gone 4-for-9 thus far this season (.444/.500/.778) with two more runs driven in, McNeil has earned the right to face the best — not only as a reward for his hard work and dedication but to measure himself against the best this game has to offer.
Callaway had better be careful messing with hot streaks. They don’t come around very often. Unless your name is Jeff McNeil, that is. Giving McNeil the opportunity to face the upper-echelon guys, no matter if they’re righties or lefties, will make him a better player — even if he does take the occasional oh-fer. Give Squirrel a shot, Mick.
Plus, sticking him — or any of your red-hot hitters — on the bench when an early-season sweep in DC is out there for the taking just seems counterintuitive.
