With so many MLB hitters swinging for the fences these days, it’s always refreshing to see a truly good contact-oriented guy hitting liners left and right.
Of course, home runs will always be more important than singles in a vacuum, but a good batting average hitter is still a nice asset for just about any organization.
The New York Mets have one of the best in the business in infielder Jeff McNeil.
He is one of the league’s purest hitters, with a swing geared for line drives to all fields.
The Mets managed to extend McNeil for the next four years at $50 million.
It’s extraordinary value for a guy who just won the batting title in MLB last year.
Mets owner Steve Cohen said it himself: McNeil hasn’t stopped hitting since becoming a major leaguer.
“The Mets have made their four-year, $50 million Jeff McNeil extension official. They’ll formally announce it at a 4 p.m. press conference today. ‘It feels like he hasn’t stopped hitting since he lined a single in his first at-bat at Citi Field five years ago,’ Steve Cohen said,” Mets insider Anthony DiComo tweeted.
The Mets have made their four-year, $50 million Jeff McNeil extension official. They'll formally announce it at a 4 p.m. press conference today.
"It feels like he hasn't stopped hitting since he lined a single in his first at-bat at Citi Field five years ago," Steve Cohen said.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) January 31, 2023
Technically, Cohen is right: McNeil is usually over .300 with an OBP north of .800. and has been this type of hitter ever since making his MLB debut.
The only mediocre season he has had is 2021, when he finished with a .679 OPS and a 92 wRC+.
But he reminded us last year that his talent makes him an ideal hitter for the top or the bottom of a lineup with a
.326/.382/.454 line.
