The 2024 season was as frustrating as it gets for Mets infielder Jeff McNeil.
McNeil came into camp looking to bounce back following a rough campaign, but he was quickly shut down after experiencing biceps soreness, and didn’t work his way back into Grapefruit League action until a week before Opening Day.
As a result, he saw his offensive struggles continue and he never quite looked like himself during the first half of the season, hitting just .216 with 19 extra-base hits and a 69 OPS+ across 88 games.
With his playing time starting to dip after Jose Iglesias’ arrival, McNeil knew he needed to make some adjustments during the All-Star break, so he decided to put an emphasis on driving the ball and it led to one of the biggest power surges of his pro career.
He went on to hit .289 with seven home runs and a strong .923 OPS during the second half before his season frustratingly came to an end in September after being hit by a pitch on the wrist — he was able to return for the playoffs but didn’t play much of a factor.
So now Carlos Mendoza and the Mets are left with the question of which McNeil they’ll see as they expect him to receive the bulk of the playing time at second base to open up the 2025 season.
The pressure will certainly be on with youngster Luisangel Acuna chomping at the bit after his impressive late-season stint, but the second-year skipper is confident that McNeil will be able to carry over his strong finish.
“This is a guy who won a batting title, they don’t just hand those things out,” he said. “The first half was really hard for him, but the impact and conviction of his swing we saw in the second half, that’s the Jeff McNeil we know. He had a good offseason and came into camp looking good, so we’re optimistic.”
And now that he’s actually healthy, McNeil is hoping that he’ll be able to put together some positive results during Grapefruit League action, which has helped him get off to hot starts in the past.
“It’s difficult when you aren’t getting the reps in spring,” he said. “But I feel like once things click it’s a go, so I’m taking this spring training super seriously. I want to go perform and play well, and then carry that into the season.
“All of the good years I’ve had I put together really good Aprils and then kind of just kept it going — once it gets going it doesn’t seem to stop, so hopefully I can get things started early on here.”
