New York Mets' Jeff McNeil hits a RBI single in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brett Davis) (Brett Davis, AP)
The Mets need these last three games against the Washington Nationals to stay alive in what seems like a futile NL East battle with the Atlanta Braves. But Jeff McNeil needs these three games to make Mets history.
The super utility player could become the first member of the Mets to win the National League batting title since Jose Reyes in 2011 and just the second player ever in club history. As of Tuesday, he leads all hitters in both leagues with a .326 average.
But Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers is only a single point behind McNeil. The Dodgers finish their season at home this week where it’s projected to be a balmy 82 degrees.
Rain or not, the two hitters should feast on some low-quality pitching this week. Los Angeles is facing the Colorado Rockies, who own the worst ERA in the league (5.08), and the Nationals have the second-worst (4.96).
A left-handed hitter, McNeil hits lefties and righties almost equally as well. His career slashline against left-handers is .296/.362/.394 and it’s been even better this season against left-handed pitching, .312/.376/.382 with a .758 OPS.
“In order to be a left-handed hitter and have a chance to win a batting title, you have to be good against left-handed pitching,” manager Buck Showalter said over the weekend in Atlanta. “He’s been a utility player for me from the standpoint I can hit him anywhere in the batting order and that is unusual. It’s really helped our batting order present challenges to the bullpens other teams have because being able to move him around really creates some stress on some bullpens.”
McNeil has often been described as a throwback hitter. He chokes up on a thick, knobless bat, makes contact and uses all fields. He’s the type of player loved equally by old-school scouts and the new-school analytics crowd.
Part of this hitting style can be attributed to playing college baseball at Long Beach State, where the fundamentals are stressed and using all fields is heavily emphasized. Blair Field, the program’s home ballpark, sits in the middle of the city only about a mile or two away from the ocean. The marine layer eats up fly balls so hitters have to find a way to drive in runs without hitting them out of the park.
The Dirtbags take a lot of pitches, draw walks and even drop down bunts. It’s a different style of play but has been effective in preparing players for the pro ranks, considering the program has sent 53 former players to the major leagues.
The first game of the series against the Nationals was rained out and the Mets are scheduled to play a doubleheader Tuesday and conclude the series Wednesday. But rain is still a threat in the forecast and possibly a threat to the batting title race as well.
()
Originally published at Tribune News Service