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Jeff McNeil Is Still the Mets’ Best Option in Center Field

Originally posted on Just Baseball | By George Caratzas | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 10:47 AM ET

Things that nobody thought would be said in 2025: Jeff McNeil is the New York Mets’ best center fielder.

That is far from a knock on McNeil. In eight MLB seasons, he has a .285 batting average, two All-Star appearances (2019 & 2022), a batting title (2022), a Silver Slugger award (2022) and a 118 career OPS+.

The issue is that most wouldn’t consider McNeil a center fielder.

Despite being one of the best utilitymen in baseball from 2018-2022, McNeil never played center outside of a few innnings in 2023.

In all, he has played every position on the field besides pitcher and catcher throughout his career, primarily at second base and both corner outfield spots. In 2025, McNeil has added a new tool to his belt: the ability to patrol the middle of the outfield on a regular basis.

“I take a lot of pride in playing a lot of positions and being very versatile,” McNeil said in a postgame interview in April. “So wherever the team needs me, I’m going to play there and I’m going to be happy to do it.”

Thanks to injuries and a lack of offense at the position, the Mets have had to get creative with their center fielders this year.

In an ideal world, there is no reason that the 33-year-old utility player should have to learn a completely new position. Before the 2024 season, the Mets brought in Tyrone Taylor in a trade with the Brewers. Then, before the ’25 season, New York struck a deal with Tampa Bay for Jose Siri.

Even at the trading deadline, president of baseball operations David Stearns swung a trade with Baltimore for Cedric Mullins.

That makes three natural options in center, but as September baseball rolls along and the Mets try to punch their ticket to October, McNeil has outplayed all three.

Stats and rankings taken prior to play on September 17.

McNeil’s New Form of Production

When McNeil came up at the tail-end of 2018, he quickly became one of the best contact hitters in the game. He broke out the next season, hitting .318 with 23 home runs and a .916 OPS en route to his first career All-Star nod.

He was productive in 2020 but struggled mightily in 2021, as he missed over 40 games with injuries. McNeil rebounded in 2022 with arguably his best season, posting a .326 batting average to lead all of MLB.

Since then, McNeil has failed to reach those heights after signing a four-year extension, but he has been productive in different ways. The 2023 season was not kind to the California native, and after a .591 OPS in the first half of ’24, people began to speculate if the end was near for McNeil.

An approach change was needed. Since the banning of the shift, McNeil’s ability to guide the ball through holes on the infield was covered up. Instead of treating his bat like a magic wand, he started pulling the ball and slugging like never before.

In the second half of 2024, he slugged .547 with an OPS of .923. While an injury cut his season short, he returned to the same pull-first ideology in 2025.

JEFF MCNEIL UPPER TANK FOR THE LEADDDDDD

What a game to start off this Subway Series!
pic.twitter.com/cYjdFtPJAt
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 4, 2025

This development has shown in 2025, as he has an OPS+ of 120 in spite of just a .255 batting average. Even with a low average by his standards, McNeil has been a quality offensive weapon for New York. As many 2025 Mets have seen their numbers dip with runners on base, McNeil thrives in such spots.

In 108 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, he is hitting .295 with more walks than strikeouts in such spots. Overall, McNeil is a tough guy to strike out, with his strikeout rate ranking in the 95th percentile leaguewide.

While his defense is not Gold Glove-caliber, McNeil has done fine in center field. I mean, watch as he takes a home run away from Marcell Ozuna:

In 209 innings in center field this year, he has -1 Outs Above Average, which is by no means good, but it’s also not poor enough to sacrifice his bat when considering other roster options. Additionally, if his defense does become a problem, manager Carlos Mendoza can always shift McNeil back to his native second base late in games, where he has +3 OAA.

Admittedly, McNeil did have a pair of misplays in center that contributed to runs against Philadelphia on September 11. However, for the most part, he has been solid.

He is not the perfect solution, but he is the best that Mendoza has right now.

The Alternatives

With Taylor, Siri, and Mullins, the Mets have three natural center fielders in the equation, at least once Taylor returns from the injured list. But still, McNeil has separated himself as New York’s best option.

Taylor and Siri give the Mets great defense and speed, but struggle with the bat.

Taylor sits in the 86th percentile in OAA, with an average sprint speed in the 94th percentile. He has been on the injured list since September 2 with a hamstring strain, though. At the plate, he has hit just .218 with a .592 OPS in 2025, but was 10-for-24 in his last seven games before getting hurt. Taylor is 11-for-13 on steals this season.

Siri recently returned from a lengthy IL stint that saw him miss well over 100 games with a fractured tibia after fouling a pitch off his leg in April. Even though he is healthy, Siri is just 2-for-29 all season. His defense is historically among the best in the game, as he posted +16 OAA in 2024.

Regardless of the defensive strengths of both Taylor and Siri, it is hard to justify an essential black hole in the lineup every night.

To make matters worse, Mullins — who was New York’s only offensive acquisition at the trade deadline — has hit under .200 as a Met. The pickup of Mullins was supposed to push McNeil back to second full time, but his struggles have complicated that.

After 15 first-half home runs with Baltimore, Mullins has slugged just two dingers in Queens and has an OPS of under .597. His defense is certainly an upgrade over McNeil, but it does not reach the level of excellence of Taylor or Siri.

With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, none of the true center fielders are truly establishing themselves as the guy for the Mets. As the club is fighting to extend their season into October, Mendoza cannot afford to give anybody too much run to right the ship.

The one reliable option is McNeil.

If nothing else, the 2025 season proves how valuable McNeil is to the Mets. Whether it is adjusting his style of hitting to revive his career or learning an entirely new position, his versatility is something that is crucial to a winning version of the Mets.

This article first appeared on Just Baseball and was syndicated with permission.

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