1 Mets player who should play more, 1 who should play less, 1 to consider demoting

The Mets should sit Jeff McNeil more regularly in favor of Jose Iglesias

Jeff McNeil got the message. When the Mets brought up Jose Iglesias and began to play him for a stretch against a bunch of lefty starters, it was clear they had lost their patience with the longtime second baseman and 2022 NL batting champion. Unfortunately, even with righties on the mound, McNeil remains a bit of a mess offensively.

A strict platoon might not be necessary, but it’s hard to disregard how well Iglesias has played for the Mets in his limited opportunities. If the Mets are serious about winning, sitting McNeil against left-handed starting pitchers feels like a must. Crunch time has arrived. Feelings will need to be hurt.

A hitless day in Tuesday’s come-from-behind victory with Iglesias pinch hitting for him (and drawing a walk in his plate appearance) signaled the days of McNeil getting replaced in the lineup are far from over. Iglesias’ playing time has diminished since those first few days he was with the team in part because of the pitchers they’ve faced—righties. McNeil’s batting average has now dropped to .220 and it’s not because of the handedness of the pitcher either.

Days off for McNeil with a righty on the mound could be more commonplace. His backup has a batting average literally almost twice as good.