For ten days, Jeff McNeil was the longest-tenured Met. After an offseason purge which saw Brandon Nimmo traded to Texas while Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz departed in free agency, it appeared for a brief moment that McNeil
may have survived to play another season in Queens. But on December 22, the Squirrel was traded to the Athletics after all, and that means it’s time for yet another bittersweet edition of Tuesday Top Ten.
Memories of McNeil’s greatness might meld together for fans because his spot in the lineup, his position, his offensive approach, his bat, and even his number changed multiple times over the course of his eight seasons in orange and blue. Previous lists have been centered around individual events — homers for
Alonso, moments for
Nimmo, and saves for
Díaz — but somehow that precedent felt insufficient to capture the spirit of McNeil, whose greatest hits feel more like the thrill of a blurry landscape zooming by your car window than the majesty of a tourist attraction that you park to take photos at. In contrast with the rest of the ex-core quartet, a more free-flowing road trip down memory lane feels necessary to properly relive McNeil’s Mets tenure. As usual, these rankings are entirely subjective, and I do not intend to cause any angry debates of the
rat-raccoon variety. I only wish to
keep things happy. So without further ado, grab your knobless bat and buckle up as we count down this Tuesday’s Top Ten…
HONORABLE MENTIONS
When he became Chicago’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man (August 1, 2019)
In perhaps the most squirrely play of his career, McNeil propelled into foul territory to grab an Eloy Jiménez pop fly, tumbling into the right field netting just as the ball fell safely into his glove’s webbing.
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When he walked off the Brewers (July 7, 2021)
Back in the era of shortened doubleheader games, Jeff McNeil notched an unconventional walk-off hit in the eighth inning off Brewers lefty Brent Suter.
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When he provided postseason insurance (October 8, 2022)
In Game 2 of the 2022 NL Wild Card Series, Jeff McNeil delivered a massive two-run single, marking the franchise’s first two-RBI hit in a postseason elimination game since Paul LoDuca’s single in Game 6 of the 2006 NLCS.
When he walked off the Nats (June 10, 2025)
At the peak of the Mets’ 2025 mirage, Jeff McNeil kept the good times rolling with a walk-off single, sending an electric Tuesday night crowd of almost 40,000 fans into jubilation.
THE LIST
10. When he put together a short but sensational rookie season (2018)
Jeff McNeil’s rookie season flew relatively under the radar. He wasn’t the most highly touted prospect, having been drafted in the twelfth round and debuting at the age of 26. He didn’t have awe-inspiring power or breathtaking speed, he wore an inconspicuous No. 68, and played in just 63 games after being promoted in late July. But in that short time, McNeil made a big impact, batting .329 with a 138 OPS+, putting together an 11-game hitting streak, posting 3 Outs Above Average, and accruing a phenomenal 3.0 bWAR.
Let’s crunch some numbers. McNeil became just the fifth rookie since integration to total 3.0 WAR while playing in fewer than 81 games (half of their team’s total), joining Willie McCovey, Jeff Francoeur, Brett Lawrie, and Gary Sanchez. That 3.0 bWAR also ranks fifth all-time among Mets rookie position players, trailing only Pete Alonso, Juan Lagares, Ike Davis, and Hubie Brooks — four players who each played in over 120 games to McNeil’s 63 — while beating out 1983 Rookie of the Year Darryl Strawberry. While he may not have been as flashy as Alonso or Strawberry, the Squirrel’s early career marks rank among the best in franchise history for position players. Through his first 250 career games, McNeil would go on to record a .317 batting average (1st), 293 hits (t-1st with José Reyes), and an .874 OPS (3rd, trailing only David Wright and Alonso).
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9. When he made a game-ending throw to the plate (June 15, 2019)
It seemed there was never a boring win for the 2019 Mets, whose bullpen bore an atrocious 4.99 ERA that season (the worst mark in Mets history). On this particular June night at Citi Field, the Mets once held an 8-3 lead over the Cardinals, but St. Louis somehow got the tying run on first base with two outs in the ninth. The batter was Kolten Wong and the runner was Jack Flaherty, a starting pitcher who had entered to replace Yadier Molina on the base paths. Wong hit a perfectly placed flaher — I mean, a flair — into no man’s land. The second baseman McNeil ran out. The right fielder Michael Conforto ran in. McNeil reached for the ball. Conforto slid to grab it. And it landed between the two of them. As Flaherty rounded third, McNeil scurried to gobble up the ball on the grass. He fired a dart right on the money, beating Flaherty to the plate and closing the curtain on a nail-biting evening.
The moment did more than show off McNeil’s impressive arm, or prove that the sophomore had a flaher — sorry,
flair — for the dramatic. McNeil had essentially switched positions in the middle of the play, adapting on the fly and pivoting from infielder to outfielder with no hesitation. It’s a fitting symbol for McNeil’s Mets career, with positional versatility proving one of the utilityman’s greatest assets. Since debuting in 2018, McNeil has become the first player in Mets history to tally over 300 innings as both an infielder and outfielder. Only two other players since McNeil’s debut in 2018 have accomplished that statistical feat while recording an OPS+ of at least 110: Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts, who have won a combined three MVP awards in that span.
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8. When he got a hit on the first pitch of his career (July 24, 2018)
After batting .311 across six years in the minor leagues, Jeff McNeil wasted no time showing us why he belonged at the major league level. Making his MLB debut as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Tuesday night at Citi Field, McNeil dunked the first pitch he saw — a fastball from reliever Phil Hughes — into center field for a clean base hit.
As with the previous entry, this play feels especially fitting for a top ten list because it encapsulated (and foreshadowed) a trademark from McNeil’s time with the Mets: first-pitch hits. McNeil has maintained a 43.8% first-pitch swing rate throughout his career, tied for seventh among hitters with at least 2000 plate appearances since 2018. Only 24 players in that span have put at least 500 first pitches into play, and of that group, McNeil’s .376 average ranks fourth. In other words, he’s not just one of the most free-swinging first-pitch hitters in baseball; he’s also one of the best. McNeil would go on to record a total of 231 first-pitch hits with the Mets, trailing only David Wright and José Reyes for the most in franchise history. Just two months after recording his first major league hit, McNeil would receive the honor of batting between those two Mets icons during Wright’s emotional final game at Citi Field.
7. When he adopted a puppy and suddenly hit more home runs (2019, second half)
During the first half in 2019, Jeff McNeil put up a stellar .349/.409/.509 slash line; so naturally, when the second half began, he decided to dramatically change his approach. Instead of foraging for singles, McNeil began swinging for the fences, tallying 16 home runs compared to just seven in the first half. Hitting 16 home runs after the All-Star Break isn’t necessarily a monumental feat in and of itself. A Mets player has hit 16 second-half home runs on 38 different occasions, but in only one of those instances had the player hit fewer home runs in the first half than McNeil had in 2019: Darryl Strawberry, who hit just eight first-half home runs in 1985 due to injury before blasting 21 bombs in the second half. McNeil’s pendulum shift wasn’t an aberration; it was calculated, crafty, and delightfully chaotic.
Oh, and it’s entirely possible that the Squirrel’s motivation originated from his desire to adopt a puppy. After trying and failing to convince his wife to adopt one as part of a Citi Field event on July 26, McNeil hit a three-run home run in the third inning, and stated during his postgame interview:
“If my wife wants more homers, then we may have to get a puppy.” 11 days later,
his wish became reality, and
Willow became a member of the McNeil family.
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6. When he found himself in the middle of one of the greatest moments in baseball history (March 21, 2023)
Okay, this one technically isn’t a “Mets” memory — but any Mets fan watching during the final inning of the 2023 World Baseball Classic’s championship game had reason to be proud of their pesky star on the international stage. With Team Japan leading 3-2 and Shohei Ohtani on the mound to close it out, Team USA sent three hitters up to the plate: Jeff McNeil, Mookie Betts, and Mike Trout. Only one of them reached base. Any guesses as to who?
McNeil led off the inning with a hard-fought, seven-pitch walk. He was never outmatched, taking four pitches (three of which were peppered just outside the strike zone) and fouling off the other three. The deciding pitch was an especially gutsy take, as McNeil watched a blistering 99.4-mph fastball land ever so slightly below the zone. As he flung his bat into foul territory and ran to first base, the ever-emotional McNeil was yelling towards his teammates in an attempt to fire them up. Unfortunately for Team USA, Betts grounded into a double play before Ohtani struck out his Angels teammate in a showdown for the ages. But given the phenomenal stakes and the seemingly superhuman figure he was facing, McNeil’s leadoff walk still stands as one of the most impressive moments of his career.
5. When he started the 2022 All-Star Game (July 19, 2022)
Jeff McNeil was no stranger to the midsummer classic. In 2019, he earned an All-Star Game selection during just his second year in the majors, taking one at-bat and playing left field in Cleveland. With their selections, McNeil and Pete Alonso became just the third pair of position player teammates since 1956 to make the All-Star Game in their rookie or sophomore seasons, joining Kris Bryant and Addision Russell (2016) and Brandon Lowe and Austin Meadows (also 2019).
But in 2022, McNeil received a greater distinction: he started at second base and batted ninth for the N.L. All Stars at Dodger Stadium, located just south of his hometown Santa Barbara. The Squirrel didn’t make much of a splash, grounding out and reaching on an announcer-influenced hit by pitch, but he nonetheless became the first Met to start an All-Star Game since Matt Harvey and David Wright at Citi Field nine years prior, and just the second Met to start at second base after Ron Hunt did so at Shea Stadium in 1964. McNeil also became just the fifth homegrown Met position player to start an All-Star Game, joining Wright, José Reyes, Darryl Strawberry, and Bud Harrelson.
4. When he started the July 4th fireworks early (July 4, 2025)
Jeff McNeil had a history of success on July 4th, sporting an even .500 OBP while playing on the nation’s birthday. Jeff McNeil also had a history of success during the Subway Series, brandishing an .892 OPS against the Yankees — his highest mark against any team with a sample size of at least 25 games played. So when the 2025 schedule called for a Subway Series showdown on July 4th, we should have predicted that Jeff McNeil was bound for a big moment.
That moment came in the bottom of the seventh, when the Mets trailed 5-4 with two outs and a runner on. McNeil worked a full count against Luke Weaver before crushing a changeup into the Coca-Cola Corner, giving the Mets a lead they would not relinquish against their crosstown rivals. Adding to his riveting afternoon, McNeil made a fine sliding play to retire DJ LeMahieu for the second out in the top of the ninth inning. He then fittingly fielded the final ground ball off the bat of Jasson Domínguez, throwing to Pete Alonso at first to seal the win. Of all the accolades and anomalies which McNeil and Alonso’s careers have shared, perhaps this is the strangest: arguably the most electric home run from each of their Mets tenures came against relievers (Devin Williams and Luke Weaver) whom the organization acquired in the same offseason they parted with the homegrown duo.
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3. When he delivered an “OMG”-style walk-off (July 25, 2024)
The 2024 Mets set a franchise record by getting walk-off hits from ten different players. McNeil got his chance to play hero on July 25, capping off a high-octane series opener against the Braves. With two men on, two outs, and the score tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the tenth inning, McNeil skied an 87-mph curveball off Braves reliever Pierce Johnson. Right fielder Ramón Laureano bolted towards the foul line, but he misjudged the ball’s trajectory, overrunning it and making a failed attempt to leap backward as his body propelled him forward. The ball dropped just in front of the warning track, and Jose “Candelita” Iglesias came around to score the winning run.
McNeil has notched three walk-off hits over the course of his career, but it was that sprinkle of strange magic which made this one the most memorable — a common characteristic of the Mets’ 2024 rallies. That magic reached new levels on the final day of the regular season, when Francisco Lindor came up to bat against none other than Pierce Johnson with the Mets down to their final two outs. Johnson threw Lindor an 86.9-mph curveball down and in, eerily similar to the one he had thrown McNeil two months earlier; but
when Lindor hit it, there was nothing the Braves’ outfielders could have done…
2. When he hit the first post-Covid homer at Citi Field (April 8, 2021)
On September 29, 2019, Dominic Smith closed out an adventurous season with a dramatic three-run walk-off homer. No one could have predicted it would be nineteen months before fans filled the Citi Field stands once again. The pandemic’s presence was still palpable during the Mets’ 2021 home opener, which was played before a socially distanced crowd of 8,492, but that didn’t stop the Thursday afternoon game against the Marlins from feeling like a cathartic homecoming.
After a frustrating three hours, the Mets found themselves trailing Miami 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth. The leadoff batter was birthday boy Jeff McNeil, who launched a no-doubter into the second deck off Anthony Bass, flipped his bat, and finally gave the crowd their moment to explode. The Mets players visibly fed off the energy of the small but frenzied crowd, having only seen cardboard cutouts and heard fake crowd noise the previous season. The game is better remembered for the chaos that immediately followed, with Michael Conforto being awarded a
controversial walk-off hit by pitch to win the game for the Amazins’. But before the elbow guard’s dubious time in the spotlight, it was the Squirrel who sent a reviving electric pulse through the Citi Field stands, reanimated the home run apple, and gifted Mets fans their first souvenir in nineteen months on his 29th birthday.
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1. When he won the 2022 batting title (October 5, 2022)
From the moment he reached the major leagues, it seemed evident that Jeff McNeil’s elite bat-to-ball skills and old-fashioned aggressiveness could one day help him win a batting title. He flirted with the achievement in 2019, at one point calling it
“a dream” of his. In 2020, he put up a strong .311 average, but it wasn’t enough to compete with inflated numbers from the shortened season’s small sample size. In 2021, McNeil was stifled, batting just .251 and sparking doubt as to whether he could ever re-capture his old form. But on October 5, 2022, his dream finally became a reality.
In his magnum opus of a season, McNeil put all the pieces together, sticking to a consistent, contact-heavy approach from spring through fall. He batted .326 with an OPS+ of 140, won a Silver Slugger Award, started the All-Star Game, received a few MVP voting points, and accrued 5.9 bWAR — the highest mark on a 2022 Mets team which won the second-most regular season games in franchise history. He also generated spray and zone charts which are so beautifully balanced (partially because of his
shift-beating tendencies) that they warrant inclusion below.
Winning the batting title is undoubtedly the crowning achievement of McNeil’s Mets tenure, with José Reyes being the only other Met to accomplish the feat back in 2011. McNeil is one of the most prolific position players in recent Mets history, ranking fifth in games played since 2000 behind only Wright, Reyes, Nimmo, and Alonso. Among homegrown Met position players, he’s one of just five to put up multiple 5.0-WAR seasons (along with Darryl Strawberry, Edgardo Alfonzo, Wright, and Reyes) and one of just seven to put up at least 20.0 total bWAR (along with the previous four names, plus Nimmo and Alonso). He has a solid case to make the Mets Hall of Fame one day. But the moment when the Citi Field scoreboard broke the news of McNeil’s accomplishment is, as far as I can tell, the only time during his eight seasons in orange and blue that the Squirrel took a long-deserved curtain call.
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