Player Outlook
Coming off a National League batting title, Jeff McNeil needed a strong finishing kick in the final two months just to get his average up to .270, which was 37 points lower than the career .307 mark he carried into the season and 56 points lower than the .326 he hit in 2022. McNeil's contact skills were as good as ever with a strikeout rate of just 10 percent, but his already-weak quality of contact was even worse last season with a hard-hit rate in the fifth percentile and barrel rate in the second percentile. He also hit more flyballs, which helped him reach double digits in home runs for just the second time but also, when combined with feeble contact, led to a lot of lazy flyouts. It's possible McNeil was pressing after signing a long-term deal, and his .303/.342/.466 line from August on is probably closer to what we should expect in 2024. McNeil did end the season on the injured list with a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow, but all signs point to that healing with rest.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
sb
Stolen Bases
avg
Batting Average
2024 — — — — — — — .000
2023 395.52.5 75 10 55 39 10 .270
2022 405.52.7 73 9 62 40 4 .327
3y Avg. 348.52.5 65 9 51 36 6 .285
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
70%
Roster
37%
Start
#25
2B Rank

Fantasy News

  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Set to play Tuesday

    McNeil (biceps) will make his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday against the Cardinals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. McNeil has yet to make his spring training debut while dealing with discomfort in his left biceps. The Mets will have the second baseman play five innings in a minor-league game Sunday, and he will be in the lineup Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, McNeill should be good to go for Opening Day. He slashed .270/.333/.378 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI over 648 plate appearances in 2023.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Nearing Grapefruit League debut

    McNeil (bicep) is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut either in one of the Mets' split-squad games Sunday or in Tuesday's game versus the Cardinals, Anthony Rieber of Newsday reports. Per Tim Britton of The Athletic, McNeil is slated to play defense only Thursday in a minor-league contest on the backfields of camp, then he'll advance to facing high-velocity pitching in a batting-practice session Friday. McNeil will take off Saturday, but if his left bicep is feeling fine after his workouts Thursday and Friday, he could get the green light to play Sunday versus the Nationals or Marlins. Despite his delayed start to spring training, McNeil is still expected to be ready to handle an everyday role at second base by the time Opening Day arrives.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Will resume hitting Saturday

    McNeil (biceps) will begin swinging a bat again Saturday, The New York Post reports. The 31-year-old is expected to play defense in a minor-league game Friday, per MLB.com, but he won't hit. McNeil has yet to see any Grapefruit League action this spring, as he's been brought along slowly due to a partial ligament tear in his left elbow, and the Mets' caution was justified when he reported bicep soreness in the same arm earlier this week. If McNeil ends up not being ready for Opening Day, the team could turn to a platoon of Joey Wendle and Zack Short at second base.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Nearing return to action

    Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that McNeil (biceps) is feeling "a lot better" and could return to Grapefruit League games soon, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. McNeil has been battling some left biceps soreness but did not require an MRI, and it sounds like he's almost put the injury in the rearview mirror. The 31-year-old also has a partial UCL tear in the elbow of the same arm, which surely factors into the team taking extra precaution. McNeil is slated to be the club's primary second baseman in 2024.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Won't hit for now

    Manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday that McNeil is dealing with left biceps soreness and will be shut down from hitting for a few days, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. McNeil will not undergo an MRI as the injury isn't believed to be serious enough to warrant that, but the infielder will be reassessed by the team Tuesday. He was expected to make his spring training debut in the first week of March, but the Mets are opting for the cautious approach given the biceps soreness is in the same arm that McNeil sustained a partial ligament tear late last season. He slashed .270/.333/.378 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI over 648 plate appearances in 2023.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Spring debut coming next week

    McNeil isn't expected to see his first Grapefruit League action until the first week of March, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports. The 31-year-old is managing a partial ligament tear in his left elbow, so the team is easing McNeil into camp. "I already have it mapped out with him. It's part of his progression, build up, volume and all of that," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday. "After going through what he went through this offseason with some of the things he was dealing with, he is healthy, going through full workouts. He's getting plenty of at-bats in live batting practice. He is running the bases. It's more like building the volume up. He'll be up there pretty soon." McNeil is on track to be in the Opening Day lineup at second base, and the elbow issue isn't expected to hamper him at the plate.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Still has partial elbow tear

    An MRI in December confirmed that McNeil is still dealing with a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. The good news for the Mets is that the 31-year-old throws right-handed. McNeil missed the final weekend of last season after being diagnosed with the tear, but doctors have cleared him for full activities this spring. Although he's capable of playing the outfield, McNeil is expected to see the bulk of his starts in 2024 at second base.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Expected to see bulk of time at 2B

    The Mets plan for McNeil to see the bulk of his playing time at second base in 2024, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports. McNeil started 57 games in the outfield in 2023, but it sounds like that number probably won't be nearly as high in 2024. He missed the final weekend of the season after being diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, but Nimmo is healthy now and having a normal offseason, per Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. McNeil was going to be playing every day regardless, but the fact that it will come at second base could impact the playing time of Brett Baty and/or Ronny Mauricio.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Still expected to avoid surgery

    Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Wednesday that McNeil had an encouraging recent checkup on his left elbow, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports. McNeil missed the final weekend of the 2023 regular season after being diagnosed with a partial UCL tear, but the expectation remains that he'll be able to avoid surgery and bring a clean bill of health into 2024. The 31-year-old seems to be responding well to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Has partial UCL tear

    Manager Buck Showalter announced Thursday that McNeil (elbow) has been diagnosed with a partial UCL tear, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. McNeil was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday afternoon with what was initially called a left elbow sprain. He is expected to avoid surgery and will try platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment with the goal of being 100 percent recovered by the beginning of spring training next February. The 31-year-old signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Mets before the start of the 2023 campaign and went on to slash .270/.333/.378 with 10 homers and 10 steals in 156 games.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Shut down with elbow sprain

    The Mets placed McNeil on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a left elbow sprain. McNeil will miss the final four games of the Mets' season, finishing with a .270/.333/.378 batting line, 10 homers, 55 RBI, 10 steals and 75 runs in 648 plate appearances. The 31-year-old is due $10.25 million next year on a contract that runs through 2026.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Day off Thursday

    McNeil is out of the lineup Thursday against the Marlins. This looks to be a planned day of rest for McNeil as the Mets play out the string on a highly disappointing 2023 campaign. Tim Locastro is playing left field Thursday and DJ Stewart is in right. Ronny Mauricio will cover second base and bat second.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Sitting nightcap

    McNeil isn't in the Mets' lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Miami, Anthony DiComo of MLB.comreports. McNeil will get a breather to close out Wednesday's activities after going 1-for-4 with an RBI during Game 1. Brandon Nimmo, Rafael Ortega and DJ Stewart will start across the Mets' outfield while McNeil sits.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Homer shy of cycle

    McNeil went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, an RBI, two runs scored and a steal in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Phillies. McNeil wound up a homer shy of a cycle Thursday, as he tallied multiple hits for the third time in his last four games. He's also gone seven straight games without striking out, going 10-for-28 (.357) in that span. McNeil's slash line is now up to .271/.334/.381 through 631 plate appearances this season with 10 homers, 75 runs scored, 54 RBI and a career-high 10 steals.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Swats ninth homer

    McNeil went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Diamondbacks. Shifting back to second base with rookie Ronny Mauricio (illness) sidelined, McNeil got hold of a Merrill Kelly fastball and lofted it over the right-field fence in the fifth inning. The 31-year-old is up to nine homers on the season, but three of them have come in September -- a month in which McNeil is so far slashing .277/.320/.532 through 51 plate appearances.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Three hits, homer Monday

    McNeil went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's loss against the Diamondbacks. McNeil got the Mets on the board in the fourth inning with a homer of Zach Davies, his eighth of the year. While it's been a down year for McNeil overall, he's hit well down the stretch, batting .309 (47-for-152) with five homers, four steals and a .806 OPS in 38 games since the start of August. On the season, he's slashing .268/.333/.367 with 67 runs scored and 50 RBI through 588 plate appearances.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Swipes bag in loss

    McNeil went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Twins. McNeil singled in his first at-bat before swiping his first bag since Aug. 26. He would then come around to score on a Daniel Vogelbach single as the Mets jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. The second baseman registered multiple hits in two of his first three games to open September but has gone just 2-for-15 at the plate since then (spanning four games).
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Keeps racking up hits

    McNeil went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Atlanta. Last year's batting champ has returned to form in August, hitting safely in seven straight games and slashing .337/.375/.472 on the month with three homers, two steals, 13 RBI and 15 runs in 22 contests. McNeil continues to mainly play second base, but if the Mets give prospect Ronny Mauricio a look in September, the 31-year-old could shift to a corner outfield spot more frequently.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Three hits in Sunday's win

    McNeil went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's win over Atlanta. The 31-year-old has had a difficult season -- one of many on the Mets -- but McNeil appears to be regaining the form that led him to a batting title in 2022. He's slashing .314/.375/.451 so far in August with a double, two homers, five RBI and nine runs through 13 games, numbers right in line with his performance last year.
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  • Mets' Jeff McNeil: Connects on fourth homer

    McNeil went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Orioles. McNeil accounted for most of the damage on the day against Orioles starter Kyle Gibson, who allowed only four hits and three earned runs over seven innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. The home run was McNeil's fourth of the season and helped lift his batting average up to .253. With Brandon Nimmo resting in Sunday's series finale, McNeil will start in left field and handle leadoff duties.
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