Ranking the 4 Mets contract extensions for players currently on the team

2) Jeff McNeil

The first year under his new deal wasn’t a huge one. Jeff McNeil went from leading the majors with a .326 batting average down to a much more average .270. McNeil brings a lot to the diamond. His ability to play all over the field. He puts the bat on the ball in an era where hitting hard and far is treated much more favorably. Still, any dive in batting average takes away from him offensively in a major way. He had a 96 OPS+ last year which measures him as a below average hitter in the league. We know he’s much more.

The extension could reach a total of $63.75 million by the time it’s over with. Dependent on a team option for 2027, it’s a deal that will take him through his age 35 season if they don’t part ways first.

Team-friendly at first glance for a guy with a batting title, McNeil wanted to guarantee himself money now because guys who didn’t hit for power tend to get brushed aside in free agency. His contract has yet to kick into the higher end, costing only $6.25 million in the 2023 season with a jump up to $10.25 million in 2024.

McNeil may have been underwhelming in the first year of this deal, but when we look at it in terms of value, he was a $6 million player. Diaz has a chance to easily pass him depending on how this extension ages for McNeil. The best extension the Mets have signed a current player to, meanwhile, might go unchallenged for its duration.