McNeil entered the season with little job security after he posted a .679 OPS in 2021 while the Mets signed Eduardo Escobar during the offseason and returned Robinson Cano from suspension, but McNeil turned things around in a resounding way and led MLB with a .326 average. He hit .319 across his first three big-league campaigns before he dropped to .251 in 2021, and in 2022 he showed the previous poor season was an aberration. The second baseman still didn't hit for much power with nine home runs, but he struck out at only a 10.4 percent clip. McNeil's counting stats were nothing special at 73 runs and 62 RBI, but that could be attributed to the fact he spent most of the year in the bottom half of the order. Leadoff man Brandon Nimmo is headed for free agency, and if he continues his career elsewhere McNeil would be a logical candidate to take over atop the order for the Mets. Read Past Outlooks