3 NY Mets players that could sneak their way onto the All-Star Game roster

3) Jeff McNeil

Will the Flying Squirrel squeak his way into Atlanta this year? With the latest version of Jeff McNeil we’ve seen so far this year, he certainly has a fighting chance.

It’s been three years since McNeil took the field as the National League’s starting second baseman at Dodger Stadium. His All-Star year was capped off with Silver Slugger honors among those playing the position in the senior circuit. That 2022 version of McNeil saw him putting the ball in play at a consistent rate, prioritizing contact while supplementing it with bursts of power as well. However, it’s no secret over the past couple of years, McNeil has drifted away from the patented pesky approach, coupled with being bitten by an abundance of bad luck and hard-hit outs.

But the batting champ has not gone quietly, putting together a couple-week-long surge in batting .291 and posting an .961 OPS with 5 HRs and 11 RBIs. Just as when the coveted and highly-anticipated Mets offense started rounding into form, McNeil became one of the centerpieces, inserting himself in the middle of the lineup following a top-heavy line of sluggers.

Compared to David Peterson and Reed Garrett on this list, the race at the second base position is loaded with the likes of Ketel Marte, Tommy Edman, Nico Hoerner, and Brendan Donovan, respectively, getting the top share of votes. While the odds may be slim to fly the Flying Squirrel down to The Peach State come mid-July, don’t be surprised if the blistering and relentless approach of McNeil makes a last-minute, convincing bid for his second All-Star Game distinction.