Jeff McNeil DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil will draw into the starting lineup for the first time this postseason in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Jack Flaherty. McNeil will start at second base and bat eighth. The 32-year-old former batting champion fractured his right wrist in early September and didn't rejoin the team until the start of the NLCS. He saw three pinch-hitting appearances in the first four games of the series but was unable to record a hit. With McNeil jumping into the starting lineup, Jose Iglesias will retreat to the bench for a must-win game for New York. McNeil has only faced Flaherty three times in his career and has a single and a strikeout. He'll be a low-upside DFS play on Friday's slate.

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McNeil fractured his right wrist in early September and wasn't on the team's roster for the Wild-Card Series or the NL Division Series, but he rejoined the roster for the NLCS against the Dodgers. In the first two games of the series in LA, the 32-year-old former batting champion only saw one pinch-hitting appearance and lined out. He'll start on the bench with the team facing right-hander Walker Buehler, who McNeil has gone 1-for-9 against in his career with a walk and two strikeouts. McNeil didn't look anything like a former batting champion at the plate in 2024 and might just serve as a bench bat for the Mets for the remainder of the postseason.

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil is absent from the team's starting lineup for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets will stick with Jose Iglesias at second base, and he will hit seventh. Meanwhile, Starling Marte will make another start in right field and will bat fifth against Dodgers right-handed opener Ryan Brasier. McNeil fractured his right wrist in early September and remained on the injured list during the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 32-year-old former batting champion came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the 9-0 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 and lined out. There's a good chance we'll see McNeil come off the bench at some point as a pinch-hitter again in Game 2. McNeil hit a career-low .238 (101-for-424) with 12 homers, 44 RBI and five steals. The Mets may just use him as a bench bat the rest of the way in 2024.

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil (wrist) has a "really good chance" to be on the team's roster for the National League Championship Series, which starts on Sunday against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. McNeil has been out since Sept. 6 due to a fractured right wrist, but he's scheduled to see live at-bats in the Arizona Fall League on Friday and Saturday and expects to be ready to go by Sunday. He will play both second base and right field in the AFL. As long as he doesn't have any setbacks with his wrist, McNeil will likely take the roster spot of infield prospect Luisangel Acuna, who has mostly been a defensive replacement in the postseason. Veteran Jose Iglesias continues to play well, so it remains to be seen how Mendoza will deploy McNeil, but both he and Iglesias could fall into something of a platoon at the keystone.

New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil (wrist) will play in Arizona Fall League games on Friday and Saturday. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the team wants to see him play in back-to-back games of nine innings before they think about adding him to the postseason roster for the National League Championship Series if they advance past the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series. The 32-year-old veteran and former batting champion has been out since early September due to a fractured right wrist, but facing live pitching is the last box he needs to check before returning. Getting McNeil back for the NLCS would be a nice boost to the Mets, but he wouldn't be guaranteed any starts after struggling in 2024 and missing extended time to end the regular season. He hit just .238 in 2024 and added 12 homers, 44 RBI and five steals in 424 at-bats.