Jeff McNeil Bio
Jeffrey Todd McNeil, known by the nicknames “Squirrel” and “Flying Squirrel,” is an American professional baseball utility player for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his MLB career in 2018 with the New York Mets, where he quickly became known for his high contact rate and versatility across the field. McNeil earned two All-Star selections in 2019 and 2022, and in 2022 he captured the National League batting title and a Silver Slugger Award, cementing his reputation as one of the league’s most reliable hitters.
A super-utility defender capable of playing second base, third base, and both corner outfield spots, McNeil has built his career on plate discipline, contact hitting, and an unorthodox knobless bat. After seven seasons in New York, he was traded to the Athletics in December 2025, opening a new chapter in his major league journey.
Early Life and Background
Jeffrey Todd McNeil was born on April 8, 1992, in Nipomo, California. He grew up in the same small Central Coast community where he would later host his wedding, and he attended Nipomo High School. A multi-sport athlete, McNeil played baseball, basketball, and golf during his high school years. On the hardwood, he played three seasons of basketball and averaged 17 points per game as a senior, showing early signs of the hand-eye coordination that would later define his hitting approach.
McNeil focused primarily on golf for much of his youth and aspired to a professional career on the links. That path shifted after a disappointing performance in the 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship, which prompted him to redirect his athletic energy toward baseball. Because golf and baseball seasons in California both run in the spring, he did not play organized baseball until his senior year of high school, but he starred in summer ball and hit .446 that senior season. His performance earned him a college scholarship offer from Cal State Northridge.
After the Cal State Northridge coaching staff departed, McNeil transferred his commitment to Long Beach State, where he continued to develop as a hitter. In 2012, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the premier amateur showcases in the country. As a junior in 2013, he batted .348 with only 11 strikeouts in 221 at-bats and was named to the All-Big West first team, putting himself on professional scouts’ radar.
Path to Professional Baseball
McNeil’s profile as a contact-oriented hitter with minimal strikeouts made him an attractive mid-round draft prospect, and the New York Mets selected him in the 12th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He signed quickly and made his professional debut that summer with the Kingsport Mets, where he batted .329 across 47 games and immediately demonstrated the bat-to-ball skills that would become his trademark.
He progressed through the Mets’ farm system in the following years, splitting 2014 between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the St. Lucie Mets and 2015 between St. Lucie and the Binghamton Mets. In 2015, he slashed .308/.369/.377 with 16 stolen bases, and his strong season earned him an invitation to the Arizona Fall League, where top prospects face advanced competition. In 2016, Mets minor league hitting coordinator Lamar Johnson gave McNeil a knobless bat as an experiment, and McNeil adopted the unorthodox equipment for the rest of his career.
Injuries limited McNeil to 51 combined games in 2016 and 2017, but he returned healthy in 2018 with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and earned a midseason promotion to the Las Vegas 51s. His bat stayed hot in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and by late July he was ready for the major leagues.
Jeff McNeil Career
Early Career (2018)
The New York Mets promoted McNeil to the major leagues on July 24, 2018. That same night at Citi Field, he recorded his first major league hit on the first pitch he saw, off San Diego Padres pitcher Phil Hughes. Less than a week later, on July 31, he hit his first major league home run against Washington Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark, announcing his arrival in the big leagues.
In his rookie season, McNeil batted .329/.381/.471 in 225 at-bats and led all major league hitters with at least 140 plate appearances in batting average against right-handers, posting a .345 mark. He received one vote in the National League Rookie of the Year Award polling, tying for sixth place, and played almost exclusively at second base while building a reputation as a “throwback” player with a high contact rate and a very low strikeout rate.
New York Mets Breakthrough (2018–2019)
Following the Mets’ offseason trade for second baseman Robinson Canó, McNeil spent the bulk of 2019 in left field, demonstrating the defensive flexibility that would define his career. On June 30, 2019, he was named to the National League All-Star team, his first career selection. On August 5, 2019, he recorded his 200th career hit in his 599th career at-bat, becoming the fastest player in Mets history to reach the 200-hit milestone.
McNeil’s 2019 season was his first true power breakout. He batted .318/.384/.531 with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs. He also swung at the highest percentage of pitches in baseball (59.9%) and the highest percentage of strikes (85%), showcasing his aggressive yet controlled approach at the plate.
Sustained Production (2020–2021)
Heading into the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, MLB Network ranked McNeil the fifth-best third baseman in baseball, though he continued to see most of his playing time in left field. He batted .311/.383/.454 with 4 home runs and 23 RBIs across 52 games and became the first Mets player since David Wright (2005–2009) to post a .300-plus batting average in three consecutive seasons.
In 2021, McNeil’s production dipped as he batted .251/.319/.360 with 7 home runs and 35 RBIs in 120 games. Despite the down year, MLB Network still ranked him the second-best second baseman in baseball and the best in the National League entering 2022.
Batting Title and Silver Slugger (2022)
McNeil changed his uniform number to 1 in 2022 so that newly signed outfielder Starling Marte could wear No. 6, and he quickly made the new digits famous. On June 10, 2022, he was named to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game as a National League representative. Originally a reserve, he became the starting second baseman after Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. opted out with an injury, and he became the first Mets position player to start an All-Star Game since David Wright in 2013.
McNeil finished 2022 with a .326 batting average, the highest mark among all qualified major league hitters, and won the National League batting title. He was the first Met to claim a batting title since José Reyes in 2011 and the first player in franchise history to lead all of MLB in batting average. He posted the lowest called-strike-plus-whiff rate in the majors, at 19.0%, and on November 10, 2022, he won his first career Silver Slugger Award, becoming the first Mets second baseman to earn the honor since Edgardo Alfonzo in 1999.
Contract Extension and Later Mets Years (2023–2025)
On January 27, 2023, McNeil agreed to a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Mets that included a fifth-year club option. In 2023, he played a career-high 156 games and hit .270/.333/.378 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. On August 5, 2023, he hit the 50th home run of his career off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Gibson. A partially torn UCL in his right elbow in September 2023 forced him onto the injured list, but he avoided surgery with a platelet-rich plasma injection.
On September 6, 2024, McNeil fractured his right wrist after being hit by a pitch from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson, and the injury ended his regular season after 129 games. He was added to the Mets’ roster for the 2024 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he drove in runs with a pair of sacrifice flies in Game 5 and a ninth-inning single in Game 6. He opened 2025 on the injured list with a low-grade right oblique strain, debuted on April 25, 2025, and finished the year slashing .243/.335/.411 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs across 122 appearances. After the 2025 season, he underwent a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome. On December 22, 2025, the Mets traded McNeil and cash considerations to the Athletics in exchange for minor league pitcher Yordan Rodriguez.
Athletics Era (2025–Present)
McNeil joined the Athletics after seven seasons in New York, bringing veteran leadership, positional versatility, and a championship-caliber contact bat to a young roster. The trade signaled a fresh start for a player looking to bounce back from injury-shortened campaigns in 2023 and 2024, and a return to full health following his postseason thoracic outlet procedure. His role with the Athletics is expected to mirror his Mets usage, with time at second base, third base, and both corner outfield spots.
Driving Style and Strengths
McNeil is widely regarded as a throwback hitter who relies on a high-contact, low-strikeout approach that has kept his bat in the lineup against both left-handed and right-handed pitching. His signature piece of equipment is the knobless bat introduced to him in 2016 by Mets minor league hitting coordinator Lamar Johnson, which he has used exclusively since. Defensively, he profiles as a true utility man, having logged significant innings at second base, third base, and both outfield corners during his major league career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among McNeil’s signature moments, his first career hit on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues, his 2022 National League batting title, and his 2024 NLCS contributions for the Mets stand out. He is the fastest player in Mets history to reach 200 career hits, the first Met to lead all of MLB in batting average, and the first Mets second baseman to win a Silver Slugger Award since Edgardo Alfonzo in 1999. He also represented the United States at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where his seventh-inning and ninth-inning walks in the championship game against Japan were the only times the United States reached base in the final inning of a 3–2 defeat.
Jeff McNeil Career Wins
Jeff McNeil’s win totals are most meaningfully tracked through his major league hitting accomplishments, which include a National League batting title and a Silver Slugger Award, rather than traditional pitching victories. Across his MLB career with the New York Mets, he was named an All-Star twice and posted batting averages of .300 or better in five of his first seven big league seasons.
MLB Highlights
McNeil won the 2022 National League batting title with a .326 average, the highest mark among all qualified major league hitters that season. He won the 2022 Silver Slugger Award at second base and earned All-Star honors in both 2019 and 2022. He is the first player in New York Mets history to lead all of MLB in batting average and the fastest player in franchise history to reach 200 career hits.
Other Performances
Beyond his major league resume, McNeil batted .446 as a high school senior at Nipomo, hit .329 in his professional debut with the Kingsport Mets, and posted a .348 average as a junior at Long Beach State to earn All-Big West first-team honors. He also helped the United States reach the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Jeff McNeil Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
McNeil grew up in Nipomo, California, where he was a multi-sport high school athlete before focusing on baseball and golf. His family has remained closely tied to the Nipomo community, the site of his 2018 wedding.
Personal Life
McNeil married his wife, Tatiana (née DaSilva), on February 3, 2018, in Nipomo, California. During the 2019 season, the couple adopted a dog named Ms. Willow McNeil, who became a social media sensation. They have two children, a son born in July 2022 and a daughter born in October 2024. Even after shelving a professional golf career, McNeil continues to play the sport, participating in the 2023 New York State Open and winning the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions celebrity division.
2025 Season Performance
Jeff McNeil’s 2025 season with the New York Mets was a study in perseverance. A low-grade right oblique strain in spring training delayed his season debut until April 25 against the Washington Nationals, and he went 1-for-4 with no walks in a 5–4 loss. Once activated, he returned to his familiar role as a versatile bat who could play multiple positions, and he appeared in 122 games for the Mets.
McNeil finished the year slashing .243/.335/.411 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs, a productive line for a contact-oriented hitter coming off an injury. Following the season, he underwent a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome, a thoracic surgery intended to restore full strength to his right arm and address nerve and vascular issues that had hampered him late in the year.
On December 22, 2025, the Mets traded McNeil and cash considerations to the Athletics in exchange for minor league pitcher Yordan Rodriguez, ending his seven-year run in New York. The trade pairs McNeil with an Athletics organization looking for veteran leadership and positional flexibility as he works back to full health.