Jeff McNeil did not accompany the Mets to Atlanta, expected to be put on the paternity list Monday as he awaits the birth of his first child.
On Sunday, though, he made another list: he’s a National League All-Star, heading to his second mid-summer classic next week in Los Angeles.
“It means a lot. It’s my second one, so pretty excited about that,” McNeil said Sunday. “Last year was a tough year for me, so just being able to go out and work hard in the offseason and to kind of have a bounce-back season and to be recognized for that is pretty special to me.”
McNeil indeed is in the midst of a resurgence, slashing .311/.371/.436 with four homers and 35 RBI in 77 games while playing second base and both outfield corners. He slumped to a .259 average last season and only had seven homers and 35 RBI in 120 games, so the players seeing his bounce back and voting him into the game is a huge confidence booster.
“It gives me a lot of confidence. It shows that I can be one of the best players in the big leagues and take that going forward and prepare every single day and doing well,” he said. “It does give me a lot of confidence that I can play with the best.
Even better? McNeil is from Nipomo, California, about three hours north of L.A., and went to Long Beach State, so like the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, the former “Dirtbag” is excited to be heading home for the exhibition.
“I think that’s really special to me; I kind of grew up going to Dodger Stadium," he said. "I gave so many baseball memories there. It’s going to be pretty fantastic to be back there and playing in the stadium I grew up going to.”
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And Mets manager Buck Showalter was happy to get to tell McNeil he was going.
“What was McNeil’s reaction? What was my reaction? Thank God,” Showalter laughed. “I feel like I was in Field of Dreams, I’m going to ease his pain right now…I think it means as much, if not more, that the players voted him in.”
McNeil can only spend three games on the paternity list, so he’ll have to be activated Thursday regardless of the status of Baby McNeil. He hopes to join the squad in Chicago…and perhaps have his own squad out in Los Angeles next week.
“The baby’s first game may be the All-Star Game,” he smiled. "This is going to be a pretty special week and a half, and I think that’s pretty exciting. It’ll be a cool memory for me.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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