The numbers have taken a drastic turn in just a year; his 2023 OPS sits at .668, putting him at 15th among all second basemen in the game. In 2022, he finished third, with a .836 OPS, just behind Jose Altuve and former Met, Andrés Giménez. At the plate this year, he has not looked like the hitter who helped his team secure a spot in the postseason and produce a 101-win season. However, since July 21, things have begun to turn a corner for McNeil. Since then, he’s batting a much more McNeil-like .290/.364/.435 with 20 hits, 12 runs and 10 RBIs. More importantly, he’s had five multi-hit games in that span, something that’s been lacking.

What’s To Come For The Flying Squirrel?

McNeil signed a four-year, $50MM extension this past offseason with the Mets, securing his place in Queens for potentially the rest of his career. However, it’s not hard to wonder where McNeil fits into the Mets’ plans with their new influx of elite prospects.

Since his debut in 2018, Jeff has been one of the most versatile players in the game. He can play almost any position in the field and does so at a gold glove caliber level. While he’s settled in primarily at second base or the corner outfield spots, he can slot in at third or even shortstop in a pinch. But with budding prospects like Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, Drew Gilbert, and even rookies Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, it’s hard to see where everybody fits in on the roster soon.

WHAT A CATCH BY JEFF McNEIL! pic.twitter.com/h4171E7keB

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 27, 2023

Because of McNeil’s defensive flexibility, he will play every day; just where is the question? Players like Mauricio might need to find a set position to make their way to the show. McNeil, however, can and has flourished in any role taken on the field. His bat is no need for concern – a similar situation happened in 2021. He finished that year batting .251/.319/.360 and came back the following year to win a batting title.

Newcomers might even look to McNeil for inspiration on making the best out of the unknown and unexpected. A 12th-round pick in the 2013 draft, McNeil wasn’t even on the Mets Top 30 Prospect ratings a year before he made his debut.

Going… Going… Gone?

While McNeil is part of the Mets’ core, there is a world where the front office decides to continue their trading spree come the offseason. While it still feels unlikely, the Mets might not be able to reject an offer they receive. The Mets might dip McNeil’s name in the trade pool to see what they can net. After all, they rejuvenated their entire farm system in a single trade deadline. They might want to keep going. In the end, however, he most likely will have more value to the team in the long run, as both a player and leader.

The post With McNeil Back on Track, What’s Next? appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, the Mets signed Jeff McNeil to a four-year, $50 million contract extension, with a fifth-year club option that could take the deal up to $63.75 million. MMO’s own Mike Mayer reported that there was optimism a deal could get done after recent extension talks had taken place, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the deal soon after. A perhaps overlooked outcome of this deal is that the Mets and McNeil will now avoid arbitration after McNeil was the only Met to not settle with the team. Both sides now avoid the process entirely and have to be thrilled with this deal.

MMO is giving away a Jeff McNeil relic card to celebrate his extension with the team. All you have to do is retweet the post and follow on Twitter for a chance to win!

Latest Mets News

Mike Puma of the New York Post wrote that Kodai Senga will be the talk of the Mets during spring training, as his ability to transition to MLB is still a question mark. Puma also wrote that several Mets’ coaches including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner have traveled to Seattle to watch Senga pitch and build a rapport with him.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com wrote about Darryl Strawberry and how he plans to preach his message of love to troubled individuals in the prison system.

Latest MLB News

The Twins announced that they will be inducting Joe Mauer into their team Hall of Fame during the 2023 season.

The Braves signed manager Brian Snitker to a contract extension through the 2025 season.

The Rays signed reliever Pete Fairbanks to a three-year, $12 million deal according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal also includes a fourth-year club option.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Cole Hamels threw for teams on Friday and was said to look “insanely good.” It is believed that he will receive interest. Heyman noted that Kyle Crick and Derek Holland also threw for scouts on Friday.

The Blue Jays announced new dimensions to the outfield walls in their stadium. They will be bringing the walls in in left-center and right-center field.

The Rangers signed five players to minor league contracts: Danny Duffy, Clint Frazier, Ian Kennedy, Reyes Moronta, and former Met Travis Jankowski.

The Rangers announced “Rangers U,” a program in partnership with Abilene Christian University that provides Rangers players and coaches with college credit via online courses specifically designed for players.

Latest on MMO

Chris Bello ranked the first basemen of the NL East.

Andrew Steele-Davis analyzed the Jeff McNeil contract extension.

On This Date in Mets History

1967: The Mets selected Ken Singleton with the third overall pick of the 1967 January amateur draft, just one pick before the Red Sox selected Carlton Fisk. Singleton was later traded in 1972 as part of a package for Rusty Staub, and went on to enjoy a productive career mostly spent with the Orioles.

Birthdays: Tsuyoshi Shinjo (51)

The post Morning Briefing: The Jeff McNeil Era Is Prolonged appeared first on Metsmerized.