The Subway Series is exciting again!
The New York Yankees and New York Mets will play a two-game series starting tonight, at Citi Field.
Both teams are leading their own divisions, and there is a renewed rivalry after the Mets overhauled their roster in the last two seasons.
With several hitting and pitching stars, the Mets are one of the few teams in MLB capable of winning a series against the Bombers.
You wouldn’t guess who is their best and most consistent performer against their crosstown rivals: it’s infielder Jeff McNeil.
It’s not that McNeil is bad: to the contrary, he is an All-Star.
But one would think it would be Francisco Lindor, or Pete Alonso.
McNeil Takes It Up A Notch Against The Yankees
That’s not the case: every time he sees the Yanks, McNeil turns into prime Babe Ruth.
“Jeff McNeil has hit safely in 14 of his 16 career games vs. the Yankees, going 23-for-59 with a .989 OPS. His .390 average is the highest mark in the history of the Subway Series. Derek Jeter leads all Yankees hitters with a .364 lifetime average against the Mets,” Fox Sports’ Deesha Thosar tweeted ahead of the game.
Jeff McNeil has hit safely in 14 of his 16 career games vs. the Yankees, going 23-for-59 with a .989 OPS. His .390 average is the highest mark in the history of the Subway Series. Derek Jeter leads all Yankees hitters with a .364 lifetime average against the Mets.
— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) July 26, 2022
McNeil was selected to the All-Star Game in 2022, and owns a .293/.356/.408 batting line this year.
He also has four home runs, 39 runs, 35 RBI, and 2.3 Wins Above Replacement, or WAR.
He can also play second base, third base, and some corner outfield, too: he is one of the Mets’ most versatile, useful players.
He has been incredibly valuable for the first-place Mets.
Can the team count on him to work some of that magic against the Yankees again?
They will certainly need him to play like he usually does vs. the other New York team.
NEXT: Mets Reportedly Linked To A Top Trade Target