Re: Twenty-One Prediction Fun: Jeff McNeil

[Edgy MD]

In a world of sluggerinos, somebody's got to be the contact hitter. Well, actually nobody has to be anything, but that's what I'm trying to be.

I'm Jeff McNeil. In three seasons, I've batted .329, .318, and .311. Combined, that comes to .319. If you use 900 at-bats as your minimum standard (and I don't know why you would do that, but I'm going to, for my own purposes), I'm the second-leading batting average guy in Mets history.

And I'm not just about the contact. I've got a career .501 slugging percentage. Think of all the contact hitters you've known in Mets history. Hernandez. Alfonzo. Magadan. Rusty. Moiphy. None of them slugged .500 over their career. Only Jon Olerud. And he matched me with an exact .501.

So what's up? Why is this the first year where I know what I'm going to be doing on opening day? What position I'm playing? Why did it take somebody getting suspended to sort that out? Why am I batting seventh? Am I just one of those guys who seems scrappy from the bleachers, but is really just kind of an asshole up front? I don't know.

But the heat is off a little. I mean, I've got a job, now, right? I can relax and do my thing without looking over my shoulder. This can mean wonderful things, or it can make me fat and lazy. You know ... the cookies.

But I just watched that 1979 video and I'm one of the few guys on today's Mets who wouldn't look out of place on that team. I'm ... what ... 6'1" 195? I figure that's a little bit more meat than Mazzilli in 1979 and little bit less than Hebner. And yet, I'm playing all-star-level ball in forty years later. When you make your prediction for my 2021, and I think you will, take that into consideration, will ya?

I was going to show you my 2020 highlights, but I instead decided to go with 2019, because there are cheering fans and I get to jump into a net. Squirrel this, you know?

[MFS62]

.331- 22-88
NL All-star at second base.

Later

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Awesome but also a few concerning head-up-ass stretches.

.299/.365/.465 -- 16 homers, 35 doubles, 90 RBI, at least 1 chewing-out by Rojas that carries the back page.

[smg58]

.320/.380/.500, All-Star and then some.

[Fman99]

He's having a rotten spring. I hope he unfucks his game come April.

[kcmets]

Echo all-star predictions, requests in May to stop calling me squirrel.