Mets' Jeff McNeil's reemergence another ominous sign for rest of NL

McNeil ended Thursday 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch.

He's found a rhythm recently after an inconsistent start to the season. Entering Thursday, McNeil had a .333/.367/.667 slash line with four home runs and 9 RBI in his last 45 at-bats (12 games).

Through his first 25 games, McNeil slashed .221/.349/.426 with two home runs and 10 runs batted in (RBI) in 68 at-bats.

Since leading the majors with a .326 batting average in 2022, McNeil has hit .258 in 322 games in the three years since, including a career-worst .238 in 2024. He suffered an oblique strain during spring training and missed the team's first 25 games this season.

The Mets (45-24) were doing just fine without McNeil, beginning the year 17-8. Before breaking out of his slump in late May, New York was 33-21, 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first in the NL East and tied with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers for the league's second-best record.

The Mets are 11-3 since May 27, with their bats finally matching the team's production on the mound.

As New York's best hitters round into form, it could be the biggest threat to the Dodgers' NL crown. Last season, the teams met in the best-of-seven NLCS, which Los Angeles won, 4-2, pitching two shutouts

McNeil hasn't been the only player to break out of a slump. Outfielder Juan Soto has also awoken from his slumber and slashed .390/.545/.829 from May 30-June 11. On Thursday, he was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Through its first 54 games, New York averaged 4.3 runs per game and had a .245/.328/.402 team slash line. Over their last 14 games before Thursday's win, the Mets slashed .262/.344/.511 and averaged 5.9 runs per game. (h/t FanGraphs)

The team's pitching staff has been the league's best, posting an MLB-low 2.85 earned run average, with the starting rotation responsible for a 2.84 ERA while the bullpen sits at 2.86.

If McNeil keeps up his current pace, the Mets should be even more dangerous during the season's second half. That's a scary thought for the rest of baseball.