4 years agoNew York Mets third baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil went 3-for-4, including a double and one run scored in the Mets' 9-5 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday. So far in 2020, McNeil has been unable to replicate his 2019 breakout in which he hit .318 with 23 home runs and 75 RBI. On the season, McNeil is batting .289 with just nine RBI and no homers in 97 at-bats. That said, McNeil is finally starting to show signs of life at the plate. In his last five games, McNeil is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with one RBI and four extra base hits. McNeil's current .289 average is supported by an xBA of .289, an elite strikeout rate, and a BABIP of .329, indicating that recent gains in his average wont regress. Unfortunately, his lack of power output in 2020 is supported by overall exit velocity, launch angle and barrel rate metrics that are much lower than figures he posted for those same metrics in 2019. As a result, while his bat may be heating up resulting in a potentially higher average and on-base percentage, unless adjustments are made, McNeil may not produce much in terms of power through the remainder of the short season.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com