Jeff McNeil isn’t the same hitter he was at his peak - but that doesn’t mean he’s done being a valuable big leaguer.
Back in 2019, McNeil looked like a hitting machine, slashing .318 with a career-best 23 home runs and a .916 OPS. He followed that up with another .300-plus season in 2020 before injuries threw him off course in 2021. But any talk of decline was quickly quieted in 2022, when he bounced back in a big way - starting at second base in the All-Star Game and capturing the National League batting title with a .326 average.
Since then, the high batting averages have faded, but McNeil’s versatility has kept him in the conversation. He’s become a true Swiss Army knife defensively - logging innings at second, third, both corner outfield spots, and, in 2025, even taking on center field at age 33.
That’s no small task, and yet McNeil held his own. At times, he was arguably the Mets’ best option up the middle.
With Pete Alonso now out of the picture, McNeil’s name even came up as a possible stopgap at first base heading into 2026. That’s the kind of flexibility that keeps a player relevant, even when the bat isn’t what it used to be.
Still, the Mets’ front office - led by president of baseball operations David Stearns - saw an opportunity to open up a roster spot by putting McNeil on the trade block. It’s a move that suggests the club is looking to retool and get younger, while also giving McNeil a chance at a fresh start elsewhere.
There’s been chatter for years about friction between McNeil and shortstop Francisco Lindor, dating back to 2021. Whether that played a role in this decision is unclear, but what is clear is that the last two seasons have been frustrating ones for McNeil.
He’s hit just .241 with a .718 OPS over that span and has battled through a string of injuries. Even so, one thing that hasn’t wavered is his elite bat-to-ball skills - his strikeout rate has stayed below 15% each of the past two seasons.
That kind of contact ability is increasingly rare in today’s game, and it suggests there’s still something in the tank for McNeil. He may not be the batting champ version of himself anymore, but he’s still a player who can help a team - especially one that values versatility, veteran presence, and a grinder’s mentality.
Now, with a change of scenery potentially on the horizon, McNeil gets the chance to reset. And sometimes, that’s all a player needs to unlock what’s still left in the swing.