Rumors of Jeff McNeil’s demise with the New York Mets are greatly exaggerated. A vocal segment of the fan base would love to see the versatile veteran shipped off to clear the way for the kids at second base.

Some are Luisangel Acuna acolytes, enamored by his smashing success over a 14-game sample at the end of last season and further enthralled by his Venezuelan Winter League success.

Others are mesmerized by Ronny Mauricio’s potential as he returns from a torn ACL and envision the six-foot-three middle infielder mashing homers in Mets’ blue and orange. Still, others eagerly await the arrival of Jett Williams to serve as Jeff McNeil 2.0.

Jeff McNeil is still the Mets’ best option at second base and has value even if one of the kids beats him out

What gets lost in all the hullabaloo is that before he arrived in Queens Acuna posted a putrid 69 wRC+ in AAA in 2024. Mauricio hasn’t played baseball in nearly a year, and in his 26 big league games he posted a 28.7% K-rate with very little power. As for Williams, he’s played just 6 games in AAA.

McNeil didn’t have a great 2024. His 2023 season was a letdown after winning a batting title in 2022. Last season, he was still a net-positive player despite a 97 wRC+ as he was still only just three percent worse than a league-average hitter and his above-average defense made up that small gap. He also showed signs of bouncing back, posting a second-half OPS of .923.

We’ve seen the relative peaks and valleys from McNeil before. In 2021, he posted a .251/.319/.360 line which was good for a career-worst 91 wRC+. He followed that up by winning a batting title on the strength of a .326/.382/.454 140 wRC+ performance.

He may never reach those heights again, but the Mets don’t need him to. The Detroit Tigers just paid Gleyber Torres $15 million on a one-year deal to be their starting second baseman, and he hit ever-so-slightly better than McNeil with much more shoddy glove work last season. Comparatively, McNeil’s deal suddenly looks like market value for an average starting second baseman, even if he doesn’t rebound in 2025.

The Mets have World Series aspirations. They have star power in the form of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and the emerging Mark Vientos. They don’t need McNeil to fill that role, but what they need is veteran leadership and fundamentally sound play. McNeil has proven, even in a diminished state that he may partially rebound from, that he can provide that.

And if one of the upstart infield prospects wows in Spring Training and seizes the second base job, so be it. McNeil offers a level of versatility and competence where he can restore order at second base if need be, or fill in around the diamond and be one of the better super utility men in the game.

No matter how you slice it, Jeff McNeil has significant value to the Mets in 2025, and until proven otherwise, is the best option at second base by far.