Jeff McNeil breaks out - could he ultimately be the answer in the outfield?
Also, poor pitching and lack of clutch hitting dooms New York in first game back from the All-Star break
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets lost their first game back after the All-Star Break to the Marlins, dropping a 6-4 decision at loanDepot Park
LHP Sean Manaea endured a tough night on the mound, giving up five earned runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout in five innings of work
RHP Adam Ottavino and RHP Phil Maton combined for two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit with no walks and three strikeouts
RHP Dedniel Núñez gave up a run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in the eighth to effectively ice the game for Miami
RF Jeff McNeil enjoyed a breakout game, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored and 3 RBIs, in addition to making a stellar defensive play in the first inning
Outside of McNeil, it was a quiet night for the lineup with just eight hits in total, with no batter recording more than one hit on the night other than McNeil
The Mets went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners stranded on base
RHP Luis Severino won’t start against the Yankees in the Subway Series - again - but he did throw some shade at his old team by declaring that they “only have two good hitters” (NY Post)
Playoff Race 🏁
The Mets are one game back of the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot in the National League. However, they are tied with the Diamondbacks for the third Wild Card berth after Arizona made up some ground by beating the Cubs on Friday. New York is 0.5 games ahead of the Pirates, and one game ahead of the Padres with 66 games to play.
Per FanGraphs, the Mets now have a 40.5% chance of making the postseason in 2024 after their loss to Miami on Friday.
New York does have the tenth easiest schedule in MLB the rest of the way.
Tiebreakers:
vs. ATL: 3-3
vs. AZ: 2-2
vs. STL: 3-2
vs. SD: 3-0
vs. CIN: 2-1
vs. SF: 2-4 (finished)
vs. PIT: 5-2 (finished)
vs. CHC: 4-3 (finished)
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Kodai Senga (right shoulder capsule strain) will throw 80-85 pitches for Triple-A Syracuse in a rehab outing on Saturday. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Mets for their home series against the Braves next weekend
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Tylor Megill (Triple-A): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
SS Luisangel Acuña (No. 5 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB
OF Luke Ritter (Triple-A): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
OF Carlos Cortes (Triple-A): 1-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 3-run HR
OF Matt Rudick (Double-A): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2-run walk-off home run
OF Ryan Clifford (No. 4 prospect, Double-A): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR
OF Omar De Los Santos (High-A): 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR
OF Drew Gilbert (No. 3 prospect, Single-A): 1-for-3, 1 RBI
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (49-47) @ Marlins (34-63)
Where: loanDepot Park - Miami, FL
Starters: RHP Luis Severino (6-3, 3.78 ERA) vs. RHP Roddery Muñoz (1-4, 5.47 ERA)
When: 4:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: WPIX, MLBN (out-of-market only)
Why a Jeff McNeil resurgence could solve a major problem for the front office… ✍️
Jeff McNeil could ease a significant headache for the Mets front office with the trade deadline edging ever closer.
The veteran second baseman, who has looked close to the end for most of the year, had a breakout game on Friday with a pair of home runs and an elite defensive grab in right field.
McNeil finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs in the series opener against the Marlins, and the Mets will be hoping for that version of McNeil the rest of the way with the second half of the 2024 season now officially underway.
Granted, it would be silly to get too carried away over one game given that we’ve seen McNeil have one standout game on other occasions this year, before reverting back to a net negative at the plate for long stretches.
However, there is no doubt that if McNeil can catch some fire and become a consistent offensive producer down the stretch, then that would act as a major assist to the front office.
With the trade deadline hurtling into view, president of baseball operations David Stearns looks set to at least improve on the margins with this team in contention for a Wild Card spot. He could also sell by flipping a starter for some much-needed bullpen help.
But, as much as more major league proven bodies are needed to bolster that overworked and undermanned bullpen, there are other areas that need addressing.
With outfielder Starling Marte struggling to recover from a knee injury, and DJ Stewart a liability offensively, the Mets also need some outfield help, an impact bat and perhaps some proven depth on the bench too.
That’s where McNeil would come into play, if he can get on track.
Playing right field on Friday, the veteran showed off his stellar glove with a tremendous leaping grab in the first inning. McNeil playing right field will only improve New York’s outfield defense. Plus, with McNeil in right, it ensures Jose Iglesias continues to get deserved opportunities at second base, where he’s a plus defender and can also contribute offensively.
The combination of McNeil in right field and Iglesias at second makes the Mets a better defensive team.
Now, of course, McNeil’s glove has never been in question except for a few miscues here and there this year. It is his bat, however, that has really come under scrutiny and for good reason. He’s currently hitting .223/.282/.340/.622 and, at times, we’ve wondered just how much he has left in the tank.
Furthermore, his two homers on Friday were his first since July 5. It was also only the second multi-home run game of his career.
Again, one game is just one game. But, with Iglesias deserving the chance to be the Mets’ everyday second baseman, McNeil is a fine replacement for Marte in the outfield, especially defensively. If he can now build on his offensive exploits on Friday and provide consistent and key contributions from the bottom half of the lineup, that would benefit everyone.
It would especially benefit Stearns, who is trying to improve the Mets for now without mortgaging their future. If McNeil can start to hit again while continuing to cover for Marte in right field, maybe Stearns won’t have to worry about trading for another impact bat or outfield help, outside of maybe a player who can provide some help off the bench.
In that scenario, Stearns wouldn’t need to concern himself with giving up any valuable prospect for position player, given that the ask for bullpen help is going to be high enough and may force the front office to give up more than what they are comfortable with. Finding an everyday player who can play the outfield and provide a significant bat in the lineup won’t come easy or cheap, so if the Mets can solve that problem internally, then even better.
Plus, if McNeil can engineer a second-half turnaround and Marte can get healthy, that would deepen the lineup for the stretch run and the postseason without needing any outside reinforcements. In that case, Stearns could focus on acquiring bullpen help and maybe an upgrade for Stewart without having to touch the riches that have been built up on the farm system.
Again, we need to see a lot more evidence that McNeil is starting to turn the corner offensively. But, if Friday is a sign of things to come, then that would certainly make things a lot easier for the front office at the trade deadline.
Around the League 🚩
MLB returned from the All-Star break on Friday with Juan Soto providing four hits with three runs scored as the Yankees beat the Rays 6-1 in the Bronx
Freddie Freeman blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning to help lead the Dodgers to a 4-1 win over the Red Sox in LA
Anthony Santander slugged a pair of homers and tied a career-high with five RBIs as the Orioles powered their way to a dominant 9-1 win over the Rangers
Once 10 games behind the Mariners on June 18, the Astros beat Seattle 3-0 on Friday to reclaim their place atop the AL West, capping quite a turnaround
The Pirates moved above .500 and continued their July surge thanks to Nick Gonzales’ walk-off single against the Phillies
Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, signed a $8,950,000 deal with the Guardians on Friday and will begin his pro career next week
I really hope The Flying Squirrel can turn his season around. The Mets can certainly use him. McNeil's decline from his batting title winning season of 2022 has been a mystery. He showed some life last night, hitting two homers, but that's only one game. We've seen him follow up a good game like that with 0-fers in the next two. His contract has two more years left, so it's safe to say he's not going anywhere at the trade deadline.
McNeil doing well would be appreciated both generally and since it's fun to root for the guy.
They still need another bat off the bench. DJ Stewart is not it. Ultimately a bat and relief pitcher are what they should be aiming for.