QUEENS — Jeff McNeil will be the first person to tell you that he’s uptight. He actually described himself as just that after inking a four-year, $50 million extension over the winter following his National League batting title in 2022.
So when the 31-year-old second baseman — who has no issue showing his intense emotions on any given night — is going through the kind of slump he’s currently in, finding a way out is an undertaking.
“Sometimes Jeff has a tough time getting out of his own way,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said on Monday afternoon. “He wants so much mentally and emotionally.”
After batting .326 last season, McNeil sat at .260 entering the Mets’ four-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers. This season’s mark has been dwindled by a recent 22-game stretch in which he batted just .185.
He’s on pace for just six home runs, 25 extra-base hits — both of which would be his lowest in a full season in his career.
It has forced Showalter to continuously pencil the lefty near the bottom of the order as he looks for a way to get the reigning batting champion out of his funk.
“When I first got to the big leagues, my biggest surprise was how mentally and emotionally challenged guys who’ve been very successful for a long time can get,” Showalter said. “Whether it be some 38-year-old pitcher who’s won Cy Young Awards or whatever, that’s why they’re good. They never assume anything.
“Jeff right now thinks he’ll get another hit.”
That, of course, won’t be the case. But a clicking McNeil will only help the Mets sustain an offense that has shown signs of sustainable life. They’ve averaged 5.3 runs per game over their last 16 outings.
“As much as Jeff has struggled, this guy was the best hitter on the planet in batting average last year,” Showalter said. “He’s just having trouble sustaining things over a long period like he has in the past but I have confidence that he will.”
