Jeff McNeil. Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets’ season has taken a turn for the worse, failing to win any of their five games since the August 1 trade deadline. The most recent loss being Saturday’s 7-3 defeat versus the Baltimore Orioles. Most of the roster has struggled during that stretch, but one player who has begun to rediscover himself is Jeff McNeil. He accounted for all of the team’s runs batted in against the Orioles.
Brandon Nimmo led the top of the fourth inning off with a double to left field. Two hitters later, McNeil got a hold of 91 mph cutter from Baltimore starter Kyle Gibson, hitting the ball over the right-field wall. Just like that, the two-time All-Star got the Mets within a one-run deficit at 3-2.
Two innings later, Francisco Lindor reached base with a double to right field with two outs in the sixth. McNeil cashed in with an RBI single to right field, making it a 5-3 game in favor of the Orioles. He would finishing the night going 2-for-4, raising his batting average to .253 for the season.
“It’s been a really frustrating year for me. Not where I want to be, not where the team wants to be,” McNeil said. “Just trying to do what I can to get back.”
McNeil has shown significant regression in 2023 after winning the batting title just a season ago, when he hit .326 with an .836 OPS. He is one of many who has gone though very difficult stretches this year, but recent individual performances show he may be getting closer to being more like his old self.
The 31-year-old is slashing .292/.346/.417 with one home run and seven RBIs over his last 12 games. The Mets are not going to contend in 2023, and if the postseason is not an attainable goal, seeing players progress over the last two months becomes the top priority.
