Jeff McNeil came to the plate in the top of the seventh against the Brewers on Monday night in desperate need of a hit.

The 2022 National League batting champion was 0-for-2 at the plate and had the chance to jumpstart the Mets who were trailing 2-1. Instead, McNeil lined out on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, and ended his night at the plate 0-for-3.

McNeil’s hitless performance against the Brewers on Monday encapsulated his entire month of June. The left-hander has a measly .180/.264/.244/.508 this month, and has only recorded three extra-base hits in 78 June at-bats.

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“As much as Jeff has struggled, this guy was the best hitter on the planet in batting average last year,” Buck Showalter said before Monday night’s game. “He’s just having trouble sustaining things over a long period like he has in the past but I have confidence that he will.”

The Squirrel sure hasn’t displayed his prowess as a contact hitter as of late. McNeil hasn’t recorded a hit since June 19 or a double since June 9. Entering June, McNeil was slashing .287/.362/.356/.719. Now, the second baseman’s batting average has fallen to .257, resulting in an 87 OPS+.

When looking at McNeil’s advanced stats, there isn’t anything telling of a slump. His 86.4 mph average exit velocity and 33.7% hard-hit rate are in line with his career, and McNeil has risen his walk rate from last year to 7.6%. However, some mechanical issues may be the culprit behind McNeil’s down year.

The 31-year-old has struggled this year with infield pop-ups. Pointed out by former Metsmerized writer Ryan Finkelstein, McNeil has flown out to opposing infielders 17% of the time in 2023, which always results in two outcomes – an out or an error. Keith Hernandez on Monday night’s broadcast pointed out that McNeil was lowering his back shoulder, which would explain the increase in infield pop-ups.

The infield pop-ups have also resulted in less power for McNeil. As of June 27, he holds a .069 ISO, 12 extra-base hits (3 doubles, one triple, and 3 home runs), and 90 total bases in 276 at-bats. The lack of power is concerning for the second-baseman, who recorded 39 doubles and a .454 slugging percentage last season.

Another issue for McNeil this season could be an injury. Just three days ago on June 24, Anthony DiComo reported that McNeil was dealing with a left wrist issue. There were rumors he could hit the IL, but the Mets stated that it was minor, and McNeil was in the lineup the following day.

Whatever the issue is with McNeil,  the Mets need the former All-Star to succeed in the second half of 2023 to turn their season around. He was instrumental in the 2022 offense, slashing .326/.382/.454/.836 with a 141 OPS+, leading the Mets to the second-best batting average in MLB (.259).

Now, with a slash line of .257/.337/.326/.663, the Mets are missing a major piece in the middle of their lineup, and are 19th in batting average in MLB (.239).