Jeff McNeil and his spot on the 2026 Mets
The Mets will go into the 2026 season with
high expectations to get back to playing competitive baseball. While the most
significant issue entering the season will be how the pitching staff is
adjusted, there are other holes that need to be filled on the roster. Outside
of Francisco
Lindor and Pete Alonso (who is currently a free agent), the Mets
infield was a rotating cast of characters. While Baty began to establish
himself a third base more consistently, second base still is a question mark
entering 2026. McNeil played 72 games there last season, second to Luisangel Acuna.
Neither McNeil, Acuna, or Mauricio played especially well at the position, so
it is unknown how they will move towards David Stearn’s intended run prevention ideology.
While McNeil didn’t play great second base, the value that he brings to the roster is that he is capable of playing nearly anywhere that you stick him competently. In addition to second base, McNeil also got reps at first base and all of the outfield positions last year. With the Mets looking towards contending in 2026, having a utility player that you can stick nearly anywhere is certainly an asset. If you were to emulate the current champion Los Angeles Dodgers, McNeil could certainly plug into a Kike Hernandez-style role of the utility player that could slide into a position and give the manager flexibility.
X
- Mets Negotiate to Retain Díaz
and Alonso After Opt-Outs
Following the 2025 season, New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz and first baseman Pete Alonso have opted out of their contracts, prompting the team to initiate negotiations with preliminary offers. Díaz, the 2025 Reliever of the Year with 40 saves and a 1.75 ERA, faces interest from the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, while Alonso, who hit 38 home runs and drove in 126 RBIs, draws attention from the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros. Mets officials, including special assistant Carlos Beltrán, prioritize re-signing both players to strengthen their playoff contention amid a competitive free agency market.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Top 100 MLB Prospect Rankings for the
Offseason
92. OF Edward Florentino, PIT
58. IF Alex Freeland, LAD
27. SS George Lombard Jr., NYY
9. RHP
Nolan McLean, NYM
1. SS Kevin McGonigle, DET
Michael Baron @michaelgbaron
Mets signed INF Jose Rojas and
INF Jackson
Cluff to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring
Training.
Jose Rojas
RF/3B/2B
5-10 200 LHH
36th rd. 2016 Vanguard
U. (CA)
Turns 33 in February
MLB Career -
-1.8-WAR, 224-AB, .188
2025 – AAA/NYY - 517-PA, 108-K 32-HR, 105-RBI, .287/.379/.599/.978
MACK
- this kind of dominating AAA bat could translate into a possible Mets
platooned DH next season. Low K-rate for a boomer like this. Too bad he doesn’t
play first.
Jackson Cluff
Turns 29 next month SS/2B/3B
LHH 5-11 180
6th round 2019 – Nats – THE Brigham
Young U. (UT)
2025 – AAA/WSH – 383-PA, 110-K, 12-HR,
40-RBI, .242/.349/.422/.771
MACK – looks to me to be a filler AAAA utility infielder for AAA-Syracuse
Jim Koenigsberger @Jimfrombaseball
"I was born and raised in New York, born
in the Bronx, grew up in Washington Heights. Our school was about 20 city
blocks from the Polo Grounds.
School in those days let out at 2:30 and the
games at the Polo Grounds started at 3:15—of course they had to be played
during the day at that time.
I was a member of two city clubs, the
'Catholic Youth Organization' and the 'Police Athletic League', and because I
was a member, I got to the games three times every week for nothing. You could
go and sit in the grandstand and that’s where I fell in love with the game and
followed my idol, who was a player named Mel Ott.
Now on weekends to sit in the bleachers, it
cost 55 cents. Used to be you could bring a soda pop bottle back to the store
for what they called a “deposit” and you’d get five cents back.
So, if I saved up enough bottles during the
week, I could go for “free” to the game on Saturday and sit in the bleachers.
So that’s really where I grew up--literally
and figuratively."
Vin Scully
Scully also admitted that as, "a little
red-headed kid", he did his best to imitate the great Mel Ott's swing, including his large right leg kick
but, "something happened when I swung the bat, that did not do what Mel
Ott did."
9 comments:
Not sure that I agree with the comment that neither McNeil, Acuna, nor Mauricio played well at 2B last year. McNeil had a +4 OAA at the position which ranks upper middle among MLB second basemen, and Acuna was better defensively as evidenced by his entry as a late inning defensive replacement at 2B. They were both good, but neither hit as well as hoped.
And one more thing
The Mets have another 2B prospect that is a mean glove man
A J Ewing
On Scully "back in the day" gets further and further in the rear view and thats a shame. A stick ball bat (or broom handle) and a spaldeen, the Good Humor man, taking the subway to the Polo Grounds for a game for a buck and a half, football games in the street "just do a post pattern after you pass the chevy", watching the Verrazano bridge being built, watching the World Trade center being built. I lived in an apartment on Shore road and 99th street overlooking the entrance to New York harbor 3 blocks from Fort Hamilton where the Brooklyn side of the bridge went through and got married at that base in 69' which is my "back in the day" Oh where oh where did it all go.
Is Ewing a 2nd base prospect? He only played a handful of games there last year at each level.
Potentially a 4th outfielder / second 2nd baseman?
Wow Gary… cool throwbacks! I know them all except how it took a buck and a half to take the subway to the Polo Grounds… i came to NYC as a five year old in 1973, but I do remember half price on Sundays…
I guess I’m a loner in that I want Baty at second base. If I could get third base production from second base, that helps the team more. McNeil will either start in CF or be traded. Acuna will play more outfield now. Obviously with third base, first base and DH open in my scenario, adding at least two bats is obvious.
Put Ewing on second
Down the road…
buck and a half for the game
$3 bucks for upper deck at Shea. Used to cut school opening day, watch Seaver pitch & work way down to field level at transport or Milner at 1B by the 7th inning.
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