Moving to a Super Utility Role Could be in Jeff McNeil’s Future

Facing a pivotal offseason, chances are the New York Mets could look very different when Opening Day rolls around in 2022, one of those changes could potentially include a new role for infielder Jeff McNeil.

Amid what’s expected to be a fairly busy winter for the Mets, starting with hiring a president of baseball operations and a new manager, management will also be attempting to make several improvements to this team’s current roster in hopes of breaking their five-year playoff drought next season.

In particular, the position player group will likely be one of the main focus points over the next couple of months, especially since Javier Baez, Michael Conforto and Jonathan Villar are all slated to hit free agency. Additionally, it’ll also be important to keep in mind that veteran Robinson Cano will be eligible to return from his PED suspension in 2022.

Assuming the front office makes a strong push to re-sign Baez, which ultimately proves to be successful, there probably won’t be much playing time available for anyone else at second base. Even if this club doesn’t bring back the superstar infielder, Cano and his $24 million salary – that carries through 2023 – would likely occupy a solid number of starts on the right side of the diamond anyway.

So where does that leave McNeil? Well, the 29-year-old appears to be without a starting role heading into the offseason, at least for now. Ideally, he’d primarily be positioned at second base, but unless an opportunity magically presents itself, that route could prove to be extremely challenging to follow.

On the other hand, a crowded group on the right side could open the door for the former 12th-round pick to transition into a super-utility player, which the Mets could certainly benefit from next season.

Though McNeil came up through the minors as a second baseman and has largely remained at that position in the majors, he’s already proven capable of shifting all over the field, allowing him to fill in at other locations when needed. While his services were mostly required in the infield this past season, he also spent some time in the outfield – a position he was very familiar with in 2019 and 2020.

Since Brandon Nimmo spent a significant chunk of the 2019 campaign on the injured list, limiting him to just 69 games, Conforto was needed to slide over the center field out of necessity. As a result, McNeil was called upon to help fill the gap at both corner outfield positions, where he compiled 671.0 innings of work.

Then during the following season, the left-hander opened the shortened schedule as New York’s everyday third baseman, however, due to his poor defensive performance, he was later moved to left field for the remainder of the campaign.

Putting his defensive versatility aside, McNeil must improve off his offensive woes from the 2021 season, which saw him post career-lows in AVG (.249), wOBA (.298), BABIP (.276), SLG (.317), ISO (.109) and wRC+ (91), to warrant consistent playing time in 2022. But if that occurs, utilizing him in a utility role could be a useful option to keep his bat in the lineup.

In a perfect world, which this certainly isn’t, the 2019 National League All-Star would be provided with an opportunity to continue showcasing his encouraging defense at second base next season, especially since it improved significantly in 2021. After displaying flashes of potential in prior seasons, he broke out with his glove in a huge way and enjoyed one of the top statistical performances of his career.

Serving as one of the top defenders in the majors, the 6’1″ infielder finished tied for the seventh-highest OAA rating (+4) among all qualified second basemen, according to BaseballSavant.com.

Digging into his career results at second base, McNeil has been at his best when he’s been shifted beyond the edge of the grass and into short right field, as he’s produced a +5 OAA in that location over 76 fielding attempts. So on days when the Mets are matched up against a pull-heavy, left-handed lineup, it’d be beneficial to at least start him at second in those games.

Even if it’s in small bursts, McNeil could remain a very reliable defender on the right side of the diamond next season, of course, if he’s aligned in the ideal locations.

As for his usage in the outfield, which is likely where he’ll spend most of his time, left field is currently up for grabs and is a position where the California native has enjoyed a decent amount of success in the past. Since 2020, he’s earned a +3 OAA rating on the left side of the outfield, thanks in part to his effective positioning.

While he’s occasionally been aligned closer to the foul line, during 35 fielding attempts to be exact, McNeil has proven to be most effective when positioned straight up as he’s recorded a +4 OAA over 58 fielding attempts at that designation.

Assuming McNeil does indeed spend a large chunk of time in left field next season, if he remains in this same defensive positioning, then the Mets may not need to worry about their outfield defense – a luxury they weren’t afforded in 2021.

With Conforto’s future uncertain heading into this winter, unless the 28-year-old returns to the Mets, there could be a massive hole in right field in 2022. But considering McNeil has totaled 330.0 career innings at that position, his versatility could allow him to split time over on the right side of the outfield, once again, keeping himself in the lineup regularly.

On the left side of the infield, depending on what changes New York makes to its third base position, the Nipomo HS product could factor into that equation as well, given that he owns 250 1/3 innings of experience at the hot corner. In saying that, based on his -2 OAA rating at third from the 2020 season, it might be wise to keep his opportunities at that position very brief.

Since McNeil will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason, he’s likely to receive a considerable raise from his $642,251 salary from 2021. In turn, larger expectations are probably in store for him as he prepares for a crucial 2022 campaign.

If McNeil can bounce back offensively, paired with another respectable defensive performance, then perhaps he can solidify his future with this organization. But if his hitting woes continue, the Mets may have no other choice than to non-tender his contract around this time next year.