New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil entered the 2018 season as an unranked prospect, but he took the league by storm with his impressive debut towards the end of the 2018 season.
Upon receiving the call to the big leagues, McNeil hit .329/.381/.471 with eleven doubles, six triples, three home runs, seven stolen bases, and 19 RBI’s in 63 games. According to Statcast, his contact percentage was nearly eight percentage points above league-average.
As a result, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was hesitant to involve the 26-year old utility man in the Edwin Diaz/Robinson Cano trade discussions with the Mariners.
In fact, the Mets pulled McNeil from a potential deal, replacing him with hard throwing reliever Gerson Bautista. One rival executive believes the Mets made the right decision in keeping him.
The executive told Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic that he “believes McNeil possesses ‘freaky’ contact skills that will enable him to be an everyday second baseman on a championship club.”
The executive added, “It’s not that he’s hacking. When he makes a decision to swing, it’s a plus.”
McNeil figures to play a vital role for the 2019 Mets, as his versatility will allow him to be used all over the diamond as a super utility man.
