Mets' Jeff McNeil is confident he can return to best form this season
Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil does a fielding drill during a spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — In three of the past four seasons, Jeff McNeil, contact savant, has rated as a merely average hitter. He was mediocre.
In the other season, 2022, he won a batting title.
He remains convinced, then, that the All-Star/Silver Slugger version of himself is in there. The key to bringing that back is a hot start to the season — and the key to a hot start, he said, is taking spring training “super-seriously.”
“It’s always a little bit difficult when you’re not getting the reps in spring training,” said McNeil, who missed part of camp last year because of injury. “But I do feel like once it kind of clicks, it’s go. I feel like it clicked in the middle of the season last year and it was go from there. I’m taking this spring training super-seriously. I want to go perform, I want to see some good results, I want to play well. And then carry that into the season.”
McNeil called 2024 “definitely one of the weirder seasons I’ve had.” He struggled early, heated up in July and got hurt in September.
He pointed to the dramatic rebound from 2021 (not good) to 2022 (elite) as evidence for another possible bounce-back.
“I’ve had some down years before and came back and showed who I am,” McNeil said. “I’m a good ballplayer. I know that. I just need to come ready, play hard and hopefully the results are there.”
Super Senga
When Kodai Senga topped out at 96 mph with his fastball during his inning of live batting practice Saturday — his first time facing hitters since October — pitching coach Jeremy Hefner motioned to him as if to say, whoa there, let’s take it easy.
Still, it was a positive development for Senga, who missed nearly all of last season because of injuries.
“I’d rather be doing that [telling a pitcher to slow down] than poking and prodding,” Hefner said. “I’d rather them be too ready than not ready enough.”
An upbeat-looking Senga had a “much different demeanor than what we saw at the end of last year,” Hefner said.
“I saw a smile on his face. That’s a good sign,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “The fact that he’s facing hitters this early in camp, that’s a good sign.”
Extra bases
Christian Scott, in the dog days of Tommy John surgery rehab, looks visibly stronger. He said he put on 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason and is up to 218 pounds now (and wants to get to 220). He would lose five to six pounds during a start last year, so extra strength is key . . . A change for the Mets this year: They partnered with Queens-based Bodyarmor as their official sports drink. No more Gatorade . . . Francisco Lindor on Pete Alonso’s return: “I’m just happy he’s with us and I’m happy that he got good money.” . . . Juan Soto is due in camp Sunday, when position players have to be on site to take their physicals.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
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