When he got called up to the big leagues for the first time a little over a year ago, Jeff McNeil had broken out in the minor leagues. Power was a big part of that breakout, as he had hit 19 home runs in just 384 plate appearances across his time in Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas. It was the first time he had hit double-digits in home runs in his minor league career, and he hadn’t come particularly close before that, as his previous single-season high was four.
Ironically, McNeil had hit those four home runs in an injury-shortened 2017 season.