New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil doesn’t care about MLB’s rule changes for the 2023 season. Shift or no shift, the reigning NL batting champion doesn’t believe there’s a defensive alignment that can stop him.
Along with the addition of a pitch clock and larger bases, MLB is introducing a ban on the shift for the 2023 campaign. According to Jeff McNeil, a limit on the number of players who can be on one side of the infield won’t affect his performance for the Mets.
“I mean, when they do shift me, I just hit against the shift,” McNeil told reporters Tuesday, “And when (they) don’t shift me, I just hit.”
On his way towards hitting a league-high .326 in the 2022 season, McNeil had the fifth-most singles that went to the opposite field or up the middle, according to MLB.com. The Mets’ star led all players with a .426 batting average on balls in play. The left-hander became a master at beating the shift, finding a way to get on base no matter what strategy the opposing defense employed.
The Mets rewarded McNeil with a four-year extension worth $50 million. McNeil’s contract includes a team-option for a fifth season in 2027.
McNeil has been one of the NL’s best hitters since making his major-league debut in 2018. The 27-year-old has a .307 batting average for his career. In four of his five seasons, McNeil has hit north of .310 with an on-base percentage above .380.
The Mets boast arguably the best infield in baseball. First baseman Pete Alonso and shortstop Francisco Lindor finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 2022 NL MVP voting. McNeil was 15th in the MVP race.
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