A late-round draft pick whose slow rise through the minors pushed his major league debut past his 26th birthday, All-Star Jeff McNeil has already made a place for himself as a unique talent whose skill set transcends baseball’s current trends.
McNeil is a hitter, pure and simple. His .349 batting average is not only the best in the league this season, it’s the best mark by a qualified batter since 2010, and D.J. LeMahieu, the only player to come close in recent years, had Coors Field on his side.
The recipe to put up a number like this is straightforward in theory: don’t strike out and hit it where they ain’t.