PORT ST. LUCIE — Jeff McNeil‘s career path has been anything but linear. When he was in high school, his plan was to play professional golf. After a standout college career at Long Beach State, he entered the pros as an unheralded infielder, drafted in the 12th round in 2013 out of Long Beach State. He wasn’t a standout prospect until he hit his way to the big leagues five years later.
Since winning the NL batting title in 2022, McNeil has struggled at the plate, hitting .270 in 2023 and .238 in 2024. But after a power surge in the second half of last season, the Mets utility man is feeling more like his old self again.
“I’m always trying to be the best version of myself,” he said this week at Clover Park. “This game is really hard. Guys are going to struggle and not have great years. But, you know, I didn’t have a great year in 2021 and came back in ’22 and won a batting title. I know it’s there.”
McNeil has had slow starts at the plate in back-to-back seasons before getting hot in the second half both years. Last season, he hit .289 with a .923 OPS over his last 149 plate appearances with seven home runs and 12 doubles. He stopped trying to do too much in his at-bats and just took what he was given.
“I just started trying to drive the ball, he said. “My swing kind of gets in trouble sometimes, once I try to kind of guide the ball out there. My swing gets all kinds of messed up. And I felt like early in the year last year, I was just trying to get singles because I was pressing trying to guide the ball out there instead of just trying to smash it as far as I can. It kind of cleans up my swing as well.”
The left-handed hitter can hit to all fields, but the Mets don’t care where the ball goes as long as he’s hitting. He worked to build more strength over the winter with the hope of improving his bat speed, which rated poorly last season, only in the 13th percentile.
The key is getting off to a strong start this spring. Nagging injuries stalled him last spring, and while he tried to make up for it by taking extra time in the cages and playing in minor league games on the back fields, he still started the year cold.
“I’m taking this spring training super seriously,” he said. “I want to go perform, I want to see some good results, I want to play well and then carry that into the season.”
The Mets still value his versatility and ability to play corner outfield spots. He’s an important piece of the lineup who can hit anywhere. The Mets are confident the 32-year-old will contribute.
“This guy won a batting title and they don’t just hand those out,” said manager Carlos Mendoza.
NO DILEMMA FOR DREW
Drew Smith reported to camp Monday after coming to an agreement with the Mets on a one-year contract with an option for 2026 last week. The Mets oversaw his first Tommy John surgery in 2019 and after undergoing a hybrid Tommy John/internal brace procedure with the Mets last July, Smith, who became a free agent in November, wanted to continue his medical care with the same team.
Smith let the Mets know last summer that he wanted to return to the only big league team he had ever pitched for. The two parties had some dialogue in October and November as he traveled with the team throughout their playoff run.
The 31-year-old lived with former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino and his family in October, playing Mario Kart with his kids while being unable to throw. Being with the Mets and with the Ottavinos was exactly the distraction he needed to keep from thinking about an uncertain future.
Finally, on Christmas Eve, the Mets and Smith agreed to terms.
“There’s nowhere else I’d want to be,” he said. “I talked to a couple of other teams, but from the get-go this is where I wanted to be. They made it clear that they wanted me to be back, so things felt really good.”
Smith recently began playing catch from 60 feet with the hope of returning to the mound by September, which would be the “best-case scenario.”
QUICK HITTERS
Monday marked the first full-squad workout of spring. All players have reported to camp except for Joey Meneses, a first baseman signed to a minor league contract, who is dealing with a visa issue. Meneses will be in camp Tuesday and can work out with the team, but can’t play games until he obtains a work visa.
Right-hander Clay Holmes threw live batting practice for the second time Monday, pitching three simulated innings.
Mendoza addressed the entire team for the first time this spring, delivering a message about their goals for the season.
“We’re here to win a championship, and we’ve got to believe that,” Mendoza said. “But we also understand that we’ve got work to do.”
