New York Mets: Three players the fans should not worry about

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 14: Jeff McNeil #6 high-fives Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets after he scored during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on April 14, 2021 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 14: Jeff McNeil #6 high-fives Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets after he scored during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on April 14, 2021 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 26: Jeff McNeil #6 of the New York Mets bats against the Washington Nationals during game 1 of a double header at Nationals Park on September 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

Jeff McNeil

Jeff McNeil seems to always start the season on a high note hitting .323 with a .413 on-base average in March and April in his career. So far, this season has not been similar by any stretch. McNeil is hitting on the interstate to start the season with a .167 batting average.

The silver lining with McNeil’s slow start is that he is hitting the ball very hard. This season McNeil is making 37% hard contact increasing from his 26.5% hard-hit rate from 2020 per Statcast.

Additionally, McNeil is swinging at more pitches in the strike zone at 86.5% and making more contact with pitches in the strike zone at 88.1% than he did in 2020. McNeil is also Barreling more balls in 2021 than 2020 with 7.5% vs 2.5%.

All of this data shows that McNeil is getting very unlucky right now and once the balls he is putting in play start to find grass he will start looking like his old self.

McNeil is a career .300 hitter and he also holds himself to a very high standard as seen by him yelling at himself when he makes an out. So if nothing else he is determined to fix the flaws in his swing causing him to start 2021 slow.

Next. Three Mets who could make their first All-Star team in 2021

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Similar to Conforto and Lindor, McNeil’s closing stat line for 2021 will most likely fall in line with what he has produced the previous three seasons he has been in the Major Leagues.