Jeff McNeil continued its hot second half on Friday.
The Mets second baseman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run in the Mets’ 7-3 win over the Marlins. He hit his 12th home run of the season, a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a double in the fifth.
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The home run in particular was of great importance to McNeil and his teammates. The home run gave the Mets a 3-2 lead over the Marlins and led to a six-run inning.
After a slow start to the season for McNeil, he has continued to provide key moments for the Mets over the past few months, scoring runs when they needed him. In his last 30 games, McNeil has 19 RBIs and 19 runs scored. In the second half, McNeil lights up opposing pitchers and contributes greatly to the Mets offense.
“I think he stuck to some of the rules he had when he was batting champion,” Brandon Nimmo said at McNeil after the game“I think he’s just getting a little more confidence. He’s had a few successful games and that’s something to build on, and confidence can go a long way in this game.”
Whether it’s the confident McNeil or the happy McNeil, the Mets team could use All-Star McNeil. The former batting champion has shown flashes with the bat in the past and has arguably been the missing piece of the puzzle on an already strong team this season.
And while McNeil’s slash line of .240/.296/.396 with a .692 OPS isn’t mind-blowing, his stats after the All-Star Game were more on par with his 2022 season. Before Friday’s matchup, McNeil had a .310 batting average with 26 hits, nine doubles, six home runs, 14 RBIs and a .986 OPS.
Tonight, McNeil hit his seventh home run of the second half and two more hits. The left-hander has found his swing, which the Mets need to find consistently throughout their offense to make the postseason.
