After a frustrating start to the season, New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil has finally begun to look like himself at the plate.
McNeil was off to an extremely slow start when he first returned from the injured list, hitting just .206 over the last eleven games of the month of June.
Thus far in July, he’s turned things around at the plate, hitting .333 and posting a .429 on-base percentage through 14 games. He helped do his part in the offensive explosion on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
After Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a single through the shift, Pete Alonso crushed his first home run since winning the Home Run Derby. McNeil then followed that up with a solo shot to deep right-center field to make it 3-0 New York.
For McNeil, it was just his fourth home run of the season. It was his first home run since May 8, and just his second extra-base hit since May 14.
He drove in another run with a clutch go-ahead RBI single in the top of the eleventh. While the power numbers haven’t been there for McNeil, he has certainly been getting it done at the plate of late.
After Monday’s game, McNeil is currently riding an eight game hitting streak and has reached base in ten of his past eleven games. He is also hitting .333 with a .418 OBP, the one homer from Monday night, seven RBI, and nine runs scored over his past 15 games.
On the season, McNeil is now up to a .260 batting average with a .346 OBP and .700 OPS through 57 games.
“I’m getting comfortable and I’m starting to see the ball better. I have my barrel awareness back so I’ve been able to shoot some balls all over the field. It comes from playing more, I missed a good amount of time but I’m feeling good again,” McNeil recently said.
He has also drawn six walks and struck out just eight times over his past 15 games. Mets manager Luis Rojas recently said he feels McNeil’s increased production has been a result of him being more disciplined at the plate.
“This guy is a natural hitter, and right now, he’s not thinking about anything,” Luis Rojas said. “He’s just going in there and finding his pitch and swinging. He is not chasing as much. That’s why he’s driving the ball better. He has been more disciplined.”
The Mets offense is better when Jeff McNeil is up there confident and looking like the Jeff McNeil of old. The Mets certainly hope this is a sign of things to come in the second-half for the slap-hitting second baseman.
The post Jeff McNeil Continues Scorching Hot Month of July first appeared on Metsmerized Online.
