New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil made an explosive return to the second half of the 2024 MLB season, delivering two home runs in Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins. McNeil, who played as both second baseman and outfielder, achieved a noteworthy performance by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, despite the Mets’ 6-4 loss. This game marked his first with multiple homers since 2019, signaling a potentially positive shift in his performance.

Following a lackluster first half where the 2022 MLB batting champion only managed a .216 batting average and five home runs, McNeil appears to be rebounding. He shared with SNY that he has adopted a new batting strategy over recent weeks, focusing more on making impactful hits rather than merely aiming for contact. This adjustment seeks to leverage getting the right pitch and executing a strong swing, a shift from his previous approach of trying to control the ball’s trajectory too precisely, which he now believes was counterproductive to his swing.

This new focus seems to be paying off, as evidenced by his recent stats: over his last seven games, McNeil has hit .350 with two homeostics and seven RBIs. His performance, including a remarkable home run catch in Friday’s game, leaves him hopeful and determined to maintain this momentum through the second half of the season. Mets fans are equally optimistic that McNeil’s resurgence marks the beginning of a strong finish to his season.