New York Mets star Jeff McNeil had a perfect day at the office as far as his record is concerned. That doesn’t mean it all came easy.
New York Mets All-Star third baseman Jeff McNeil has really grown into his role as a streamer. He’s figured out how to keep chat engaged, play well, and make entertaining content.
He makes jokes, tells stories, and connects himself to the game. He talks about the players in the game and his experience against them. This is exactly what the “MLB The Show” players league should be. A way for fans to connect with their favorite players on a real level and learn more about their experience in the game.
The proof is in the viewership. McNeil was steadily over 2,500 viewers on Sunday. That comes after struggling to top 1,000 in his previous stream. It’s clear that he’s evolving and his audience is growing with him.
It doesn’t hurt that McNeil is one of the best players in the league.
Recap
Jeff McNeil’s night was scheduled to get started against Carlos Santana and the Cleveland Indians. That didn’t happen, as McNeil’s first opponent was unable to compete for a second-straight gameday.
Instead, McNeil and the Mets got their day started against Ian Happ and the Chicago Cubs. This game was a massacre. McNeil seemed to put all his frustration into this game.
He put up nine first-inning runs. He sent 12 batters to the plate in a hit parade that looked like it would never end. When it finally did come to an end, Jacob deGrom stepped onto the mound.
McNeil allowed just one run with deGrom in the first inning. He responded by putting up another two runs in the second.
Brad Brach pitched the rest of the way, allowing a run in the second and the third inning. The final score of the game was an emphatic 13-3.
McNeil’s second game of the day came against Hunter Pence. McNeil let the chat know that he’s played against Pence before a number of times. That familiarity showed in a competitive extra-inning game.
Pence was able to manufacture two runs with the speed of centerfielder Billy Hamilton to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning.
Something clicked for McNeil at that point after struggling all game. He put together hit after hit and loaded the bases with nobody out. A base hit knocked in one run, and a walk brought in another.
The game seemed over when Pete Alonso came up to bat with one out and the winning run on third. A fly ball would have won the game, but Pete struck out. McNeil proceeded to hit an inning-ending ground ball with Robinson Cano to send the game to extras.
The game would go into the fifth inning before McNeil would send everyone home happy. With two outs and a runner on second, “Big Meat Pete” had another chance. He laced a double into the right-center gap and McNeil moved to 2-0 on the day.
McNeil’s final game of the day came against Juan Soto and the World Series champion Washington Nationals. This game was a disaster as Juan Soto attempted to “cheese” (win with a cheap, easy method) and potentially cheat his way to victory.
As the game started, loading in a ton of fans in the chat told McNeil that Soto was “stream sniping” him to gain a competitive advantage. Stream sniping is when a player watches his opponent’s stream so he can know exactly what he’s doing at all times. This would be considered cheating in most Esports leagues to an extreme degree.
This accusation has not been proven or disproven. It’s possible this was just Mets fans trying to stir up a rivalry. However, if the fans were telling the truth, this would be tough look for one of baseball’s biggest stars.
When the game finally began, Soto began to disrespect McNeil and the league. He played a Nationals home game in Miami because it’s harder to see the ball in that ballpark. No player McNeil has played to date hasn’t played a home game in their home park.
Soto then began to play in a disrespectful way. He was bunting almost every at-bat, and he only threw curveballs and fastballs at the ribs. He was looking for any advantage he could have by taking advantage of the game’s shortcomings. It’s a disrespectful way to play the game and it has no place in “MLB The Show.”
Despite all that, McNeil was able to scratch out a run in the second inning and take a 1-0 lead. Jacob deGrom and Edwin Diaz combined for shutout and put Soto away for a third win of the day.
McNeil was a perfect 3-0 on the day. Santana having to cancel and Soto’s playstyle were disappointing, but even that couldn’t take away from a great day of New York Mets baseball.
Standings
The New York Mets are in good hands with Jeff McNeil. After a perfect night, the Mets sit at 11-3. That puts them third in the “MLB The Show” players league. Only Joey Gallo (15-1) and Blake Snell (13-3) are ahead of McNeil in the standings.
McNeil has the Mets safely in a playoff spot right now. It would take a small collapse for him to fail to make the playoffs at this point. In fact, McNeil is a very real threat to win the World Series.
Who’s next
Jeff McNeil and the New York Mets are scheduled to return to the virtual diamond on Wednesday, April 22. He’s set to face Rhys Hoskins and the Philadelphia Phillies (9-6), Josh Hader and the Milwaukee Brewers (6-6), and Ty Buttrey and the Los Angeles Angels (1-11).
