Jeff McNeil Claps Back to New York Post After Weird Take About His Mets Future
Jeff McNeil reached the major leagues with the New York Mets in 2018 and was an All-Star one year later. He is capable of playing in the infield and the outfield, and was a pleasant surprise in Queens last season, seemingly on fire from April to September.
That is why it was bizarre to see a headline from the New York Post on Tuesday about how McNeil could limit his own potential. The article itself quoted an anonymous talent evaluator who said the Mets utility player is too hard on himself, and that could hurt him moving forward.
McNeil had no time for this and sent out a tweet in response.
I’ve been hard on myself ever since I started playing baseball. What athlete isn’t hard on themselves when they fail? I’m not ok with failure but it drives me to do better. My frustration is definitely not getting in the way of my future success, it makes me the player that I am https://t.co/EUkWFUyNEm
— Jeff McNeil (@JeffMcNeil805) May 12, 2020
The whole article just briefly touches on the point of McNeil being too hard on himself. But the headline got the attention of the player, and it is bizarre to think he could be criticized for striving to be great.
Teammate Pete Alonso further bolstered his budding leadership credentials by hopping in and defending McNeil's process.
You’re an all-star your first full year in the league. You will also compete to win a batting title every year. How you approach the game clearly works and will continue to work for you. It doesn’t matter what other people think. If it ain’t broke.....
— Pete Alonso (@Pete_Alonso20) May 12, 2020
Being critical of one's self is usually a recipe for success. One anonymous individual thinks otherwise, and while McNeil shot down the notion, it may be something to keep an eye on since it was brought up and was...apparently worth knowing.