New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil has a tangible reminder of his 2022 National League batting title — and it isn’t a trophy.
It’s a Ford Bronco Sport, which he received last November. But he didn’t get the car from Major League Baseball or the New York Mets, nor was it a gift to himself.
It was the payoff from shortstop Francisco Lindor’s promise that if McNeil won the 2022 NL batting title the All-Star shortstop would buy him a new car.
It took a year for Lindor to deliver, but he finally did in November when McNeil was back in his offseason home in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
He recounted the phone call he got from the car deal to the New York Post during spring training.
“The guy on the phone says, ‘Hey, your buddy bought you a car, we just need to know where to send it,’” McNeil said.
In May of 2022 Lindor offhandedly told reporters, including MLB.com, that if McNeil won the NL batting title he would buy him a new car. At the time, McNeil was batting .348. Now, it was May and batting averages tend to decline.
Well, McNeil’s did, but not nearly enough to help Lindor avoid paying off the debt. McNeil finished the season batting .326 and beat Freddie Freeman by one percentage point to win the batting crown.
Throughout 2023 Lindor was asked if he would make good. He always said he would, but he wasn’t sure when or where.
Lindor apparently chose November in San Luis Obispo.
Now, McNeil has a constant reminder of that year and his bond with his teammate.
“It’s nice to go and look at it because I know what it means: I won the National League title,” McNeil said. “It means a lot, so I am enjoying it.”
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