Brandon Nimmo comes up clutch as the Mets open up series vs. Cardinals with a win
Plus, what's up with Jeff McNeil at the plate?
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets got some clutch offense and pitching on the way to beating the Cardinals, 4-3 in St. Louis (box)
LHP Sean Manaea fought through six innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits with one walk while striking out one
1B DJ Stewart got the Mets on the board in the first inning with a double that scored SS Francisco Lindor
OF Brandon Nimmo had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and 1 RBI, in addition to hitting the go-ahead homer in the top of the seventh
2B Jeff McNeil made a great play in the field, but continued to struggle at the plate, finishing the day 1-for-4
LHP Jake Diekman and RHP Adam Ottavino both tossed scoreless innings, setting the stage for their closer
A day after blowing his first save since 2022, RHP Edwin Díaz came in and delivered a scoreless ninth to get the save and secure the win for the Mets
1B Pete Alonso was given the day off on Monday after going 2-for-36 in his previous 10 games
Lindor was awarded the MLB Play of the Week for his back-handed grab and off-balance throw against the Rays
Stat of the Day 📊
After being given the day off, 1B Pete Alonso saw his streak of 126 consecutive starts snapped. It stretched back to last June
Injury Updates 🏥
C Francisco Álvarez (left thumb surgery) had his stitches removed on Monday and is still traveling with the team
Roster Moves 🗞️
RHP Yohan Ramírez was claimed off waivers from Baltimore
RHP Max Kranick was designated for assignment
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Jorge De Leon (Rookie Ball): 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
C Julio Zayas (Rookie Ball): 2-for-3, 2 RBI
RHP Joander Suarez (No. 28 Prospect, High-A): Named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week - 6.1 IP, O H, O R, 0 BB, 7 K
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (17-18) @ Cardinals (15-20)
Where: Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO
Starters: RHP José Buttó (0-2, 2.57 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (2-4, 5.68 ERA)
When: 7:45 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
What exactly is going on with Jeff McNeil? ✍️
One of the biggest question marks facing the 2024 New York Mets was what version of Jeff McNeil they would be getting.
Would it be the clutch hitter who slashed .326/.382/.454/.836 and won the Silver Slugger in 2022?
Or would it be the injury-hindered batter who was a shadow of his former self in 2023?
The general school of thought was that if the Mets were to challenge for a Wild Card spot, then they would need McNeil to be at the peak of his powers once more.
Well, that hasn’t happened in 2024. At least not yet, anyway.
To put it bluntly, McNeil has just been brutal at the plate through the opening month of the season. He’s been a big reason why this offense has struggled so much.
After going 1-for-4 in the series opener against the Cardinals on Monday, the lefty bat is now hitting just .231/.311/.306/.617 on the year. He also has just one home run and seven RBIs. He is 2-for-his-last-20 at the plate as well.
That’s not what you want.
Furthermore, he’s hitting just .269 with runners in scoring position. As has been the case with Pete Alonso, McNeil has killed the Mets at times with runners on.
However, while this is just a slump for Alonso and you’d bet the house that he will break out of it sooner rather than later, I don’t think it is that straightforward for McNeil.
I think the problem goes deeper than that.
For starters, we’re talking about a sample size much larger than just the first month of this season. McNeil struggled through all of 2023, and those shortcomings at the plate have continued to haunt him coming into 2024.
When it comes to trying to pinpoint what is exactly behind McNeil’s sustained slump, there are a few theories. Firstly, and as our own Michael Baron pointed out on the very first episode of Just Mets: The Podcast, there should be concern over the durability of McNeil’s partially torn UCL in his left elbow. The veteran didn’t undergo surgery, so it is feasible to suggest that maybe the arm is bothering him and causing some real discomfort at the plate.
I’m no doctor, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there are more issues with that left elbow further down the road.
Another theory could be McNeil’s approach at the plate. It just doesn’t look right, and his footwork appears to be all messed up. If it is a mechanics problem, then that should be easily fixable with time. On the flip side, however, it should concern you if McNeil hasn’t been able to fix the same issues that have been plaguing his game for well over a year now. He is hitting way too many balls in the air with very little exit velocity as well.
He is in the 16th percentile in exit velocity, third percentile in barrel percentage, and the eighth percentile in hard hit rate.
I’ve also not been a fan of McNeil’s general demeanor at the plate. His body language just looks off to me, and it sends all the wrong messages. He doesn’t look like a guy who is desperate to fix whatever is ruining his hitting and, as a direct byproduct, hurting his team. And that is a major red flag.
Granted, and in the interest of fairness, the two-time All-Star still boasts a stellar glove, as evidenced by the elite diving catch he made in the second inning on Monday. Although, the veteran has also been guilty of a few brain farts in the field as of late too.
Make no doubt about it, though, it is McNeil’s bat that should be the main focus of concern. We’re starting to enter dangerous territory as it pertains to questions over the second baseman’s long-term future in Queens.
Has McNeil now become expendable with all the young hitting talent in the system?
At this point, you have to wonder if 2022 was the outlier rather than the rule, especially if the veteran can’t right the ship the rest of the way this year. One quick glance at his Baseball Reference page and it becomes clear that there’s been more average seasons than great ones.
Of course, it is still very early and there is a hell of a lot of baseball still to be played. But, given what happened last year coupled with what we’ve seen so far in 2024, I do think it is fair to start asking some really hard questions about Jeff McNeil and his role on this team moving forward.
His struggles at the plate are really hurting this team, and it will be interesting to see how long that is allowed to continue.
Around the League 🚩
Guardians OF Steven Kwan - who was hitting .353/.407/.496/.903 - will miss approximately four weeks with an acute hamstring strain
RHP Yu Darvish tossed five scoreless innings with just three hits allowed and five strikeouts, as the Padres beat his old team the Cubs, 6-3
RHP Walker Buehler made his first MLB start in nearly two years as the Dodgers beat the Marlins, 6-3
1B Bryce Harper went yard and RHP Zack Wheeler allowed just one run on four hits in seven stellar innings in the Phillies’ 6-1 victory over the Giants
3B José Ramírez now has the most go-ahead homers in Cleveland history (87) after hitting the deciding home run in the Guardians’ 2-1 win over the Tigers