NEW YORK — With Jeff McNeil leading the National League and the entire league with a .326 average, the Mets opted not to play their infielder/outfielder, instead letting him rest ahead of the postseason matchup against the San Diego Padres. As it turns out, he won the batting title anyway.
Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers went 3 for 4 on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies to finish just one point behind him in the NL and the overall MLB standings. The Mets took a gamble on the numbers knowing Freeman would need to go 4 for 4 at minimum and it paid off.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said before Wednesday’s game against the Nationals that sitting McNeil was own his decision and didn’t want to leave the decision to the player.
McNeil, a two-time All-Star, becomes just the second player from the Mets to win a batting title and the first since Jose Reyes in 2011. When Reyes won the award, he slashed .337/.384/.493.
A left-handed hitter who moves up and down the lineup, McNeil will finish the regular season with a slash line of .326/.382/.454 with nine home runs.
The player they call “Squirrel” ended the season on a tear, riding a 10-game hitting streak. He went 20 for 43 (.465) in that span, with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs and nine runs scored.
McNeil also made his second All-Star Game appearance this season. He represented the Mets for the first time at the game in 2019.
