It looks like Jeff McNeil has made one of his NY Mets teammates redundant

Baseball is a game of adjustments, and a team has embodied that philosophy this season quite like the New York Mets. The latest example came in the recent series against the Philadelphia Phillies, where the club chose to bench their recently acquired left-handed hitting outfielder, Cedric Mullins, even though the opposing pitcher at the end of the series was a right-hander, a matchup conventionally favored by baseball's long-standing platoon rules.

However, a closer look at the Mets’ evolving roster and their data-driven philosophy reveals that this is the right decision. Mullins' new status as a depth piece in a lineup logjam is the direct result of a teammate's red-hot streak, a development that has made his once-prominent place in the batting order less of a necessity and more of an occasional luxury.

The rise of the 'Hot Hand'

The most compelling reason for the Mets' lineup decision—and the most significant factor in the benching of Cedric Mullins—is the undeniable, red-hot performance of Jeff McNeil. While Mullins was acquired as a major piece at the trade deadline, McNeil's recent stat line has made him indispensable. In his last 10 games or so against right-handed pitchers, McNeil has been one of the team's most productive hitters, batting an impressive over .350 average with an OPS over 1.000. This kind of production is impossible to ignore.

In contrast, Mullins, a player with a history of success including an All-Star nod and a 30-30 season , has struggled for much of the season. His overall numbers against right-handers sit at around .200 batting average and a .600 OPS, starkly different from McNeil’s recent surge. While some of his underlying Statcast metrics, like a 6.0% Barrel rate and 35.8% Hard-Hit rate, are not terrible, they pale in comparison to McNeil's numbers. With an over .350 expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) and an almost .300 expected batting average (xBA), McNeil's performance has been elite.

By starting McNeil, the Mets are making a high-leverage choice, banking on the idea that the momentum of a player's recent success is the best predictor of their performance on a given day. With other players like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Starling Marte also contributing offensively, the Mets have found a new rhythm.

The team's flexibility is now a major asset, allowing them to mix and match lineups based on who has the "hot hand." This has relegated Cedric Mullins to a more occasional role, seemingly making him redundant in a way that feels almost permanent. When the Mets need a defensive replacement or a fourth outfielder, they also have Tyrone Taylor, who has been a strong defender and a good platoon option against left-handed pitchers. The presence of Taylor further underscores the current state of affairs, where the depth that was once a strength has created a logjam at the outfield position. What was a blockbuster trade at the deadline has become a testament to the evolving, and perhaps crowded, reality of the New York Mets’ roster.