By George Caratzas,Just Baseball
Copyright yardbarker
In 209 innings in center field this year, he has -1 Outs Above Average, which is by no means good, but it’s also not poor enough to sacrifice his bat when considering other roster options. Additionally, if his defense does become a problem, manager Carlos Mendoza can always shift McNeil back to his native second base late in games, where he has +3 OAA.
Admittedly, McNeil did have a pair of misplays in center that contributed to runs against Philadelphia on September 11. However, for the most part, he has been solid.
He is not the perfect solution, but he is the best that Mendoza has right now.
The Alternatives
With Taylor, Siri, and Mullins, the Mets have three natural center fielders in the equation, at least once Taylor returns from the injured list. But still, McNeil has separated himself as New York’s best option.
Taylor and Siri give the Mets great defense and speed, but struggle with the bat.
Taylor sits in the 86th percentile in OAA, with an average sprint speed in the 94th percentile. He has been on the injured list since September 2 with a hamstring strain, though. At the plate, he has hit just .218 with a .592 OPS in 2025, but was 10-for-24 in his last seven games before getting hurt. Taylor is 11-for-13 on steals this season.
Siri recently returned from a lengthy IL stint that saw him miss well over 100 games with a fractured tibia after fouling a pitch off his leg in April. Even though he is healthy, Siri is just 2-for-29 all season. His defense is historically among the best in the game, as he posted +16 OAA in 2024.
Regardless of the defensive strengths of both Taylor and Siri, it is hard to justify an essential black hole in the lineup every night.
To make matters worse, Mullins — who was New York’s only offensive acquisition at the trade deadline — has hit under .200 as a Met. The pickup of Mullins was supposed to push McNeil back to second full time, but his struggles have complicated that.
After 15 first-half home runs with Baltimore, Mullins has slugged just two dingers in Queens and has an OPS of under .597. His defense is certainly an upgrade over McNeil, but it does not reach the level of excellence of Taylor or Siri.
With less than two weeks to go in the regular season, none of the true center fielders are truly establishing themselves as the guy for the Mets. As the club is fighting to extend their season into October, Mendoza cannot afford to give anybody too much run to right the ship.
The one reliable option is McNeil.
If nothing else, the 2025 season proves how valuable McNeil is to the Mets. Whether it is adjusting his style of hitting to revive his career or learning an entirely new position, his versatility is something that is crucial to a winning version of the Mets.
