Jeff McNeil has been a different player after the All-Star Break. Clutch home runs and some insurance ones along the way as well have made the most outcast member of the New York Mets lineup a fan-favorite all over again.
McNeil is now hitting .364/.393/.745 in the second half. His 5 home runs are tied with Francisco Lindor for the most. His 13 RBI is only shy of the 14 by J.D. Martinez. In doing so, McNeil has earned the moniker of “Happy” in front of his name. “Happy Jeff” implies a lot of things. Most of which is the existence of angry, sad, or frustratingly furious Jeff from the first half of the season.
Since the second-half started, McNeil has been a force for the Mets. Not so much for these three who’ve been limping. They need to order whatever warm beverage McNeil did to get out of their icy cold slumps.
1) Francisco Alvarez
The good luck has worn out on Francisco Alvarez. The team actually does lose when he plays. His defense of late hasn’t been at its best. However, it’s the lack of offense standing out even more.
Alvarez is batting only .178/.213/.244 after adding a pinch hit single in Tuesday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies. It’s a small sample for sure. He has started off August going 5 for 14 which is a nice start after such a poor July.
Alvarez batted .200/.263/.314 last month with a single home run. Power hasn’t been present. Just 5 home runs all year in nearly half as many plate appearances as he had in 2023 when he launched 25 bombs, a poor turn. Alvarez has already managed to match last year’s total of 12 doubles, though. Much like Pete Alonso, he has traded in some four-run bombs for two-base hits. If he can manage to keep his average and OBP around where they are, a few less home runs can be accepted.
Only one extra-base hit in the second half, it came as a home run in an 8-4 win against the Atlanta Braves on July 26. The Mets have managed to get by without his production from the bottom of the order. A recent uptick in singles is a positive trend. We want more.