7 NY Mets players who will make the Opening Day roster but will be on thin ice

2) Jeff McNeil

Many Mets fans already believe Jeff McNeil fell through the ice for good last year. It was painful to watch him early on. He couldn’t do anything at the plate. No longer quite as glamorous because of his versatility due to the Mets not needing him at positions other than second base as much, the one reason to defend McNeil fell by the wayside.

Just as he was beginning to hit well in the second half, McNeil was hurt and we didn’t see him again until late in the playoffs. He had a part-time role when he did return. The debate raged on if he should play over Jose Iglesias who seemed to slow down as well with all of the additional playing time.

McNeil is “the other” veteran fans made mock trades for this offseason, often sending him to the Seattle Mariners for a pitcher way better than he is a hitter. If the Mets can’t count on McNeil to at least challenge for a .300 batting average, he’s a very mediocre part of the roster and someone we could see replaced by a plethora of younger options.

Unlike Marte who is on the last year of his deal, McNeil is more likely to stick around and view games from the bench instead. The Mets aren’t going to cut him. Instead, a guy like Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna, or even Jett Williams further down the line could steal the starting gig.