3 Mets players who need to order what second-half “Happy” Jeff McNeil did and heat up

Jeff McNeil has been a different player after the All-Star Break. Clutch home runs and some insurance ones along the way as well have made the most outcast member of the New York Mets lineup a fan-favorite all over again.

McNeil is now hitting .364/.393/.745 in the second half. His 5 home runs are tied with Francisco Lindor for the most. His 13 RBI is only shy of the 14 by J.D. Martinez. In doing so, McNeil has earned the moniker of “Happy” in front of his name. “Happy Jeff” implies a lot of things. Most of which is the existence of angry, sad, or frustratingly furious Jeff from the first half of the season.

Since the second-half started, McNeil has been a force for the Mets. Not so much for these three who’ve been limping. They need to order whatever warm beverage McNeil did to get out of their icy cold slumps.
1) Francisco Alvarez
The good luck has worn out on Francisco Alvarez. The team actually does lose when he plays. His defense of late hasn’t been at its best. However, it’s the lack of offense standing out even more.

Alvarez is batting only .178/.213/.244 after adding a pinch hit single in Tuesday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies. It’s a small sample for sure. He has started off August going 5 for 14 which is a nice start after such a poor July.

Alvarez batted .200/.263/.314 last month with a single home run. Power hasn’t been present. Just 5 home runs all year in nearly half as many plate appearances as he had in 2023 when he launched 25 bombs, a poor turn. Alvarez has already managed to match last year’s total of 12 doubles, though. Much like Pete Alonso, he has traded in some four-run bombs for two-base hits. If he can manage to keep his average and OBP around where they are, a few less home runs can be accepted.

Only one extra-base hit in the second half, it came as a home run in an 8-4 win against the Atlanta Braves on July 26. The Mets have managed to get by without his production from the bottom of the order. A recent uptick in singles is a positive trend. We want more.

2) Brandon Nimmo
Brandon Nimmo is having a streaky season. He’s going to finish with more RBI and probably with more home runs than any other season in his career. He has already stolen more bases and should challenge for a personal-best in walks or at least surpass where he was in the last two seasons. The batting average is down and with it comes a lower OBP. Home run power is present but not so much after all of that early July talk about him being one of the biggest All-Star snubs.

Nimmo has experienced a similar power outage. Two hits on Tuesday has improved his slash line in the second half to .169/.295/.200. The double was his second extra-base hit post-All-Star Break. He had one against the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, too.

You have to adventure all the way back to July 10 for his last home run. Nimmo swatted his third in as many games then followed up the surge with a 3 RBI game to complete the sweep against the Washington Nationals.

Just like Alvarez, August has been better for Nimmo through the first week. He has cut down on the strikeouts, yet to fan more than once in any game. It has mostly been a showcase of singles. His RBI against the Rockies was his first of the month. There are a lot of things Nimmo can do to contribute on offense. Hopefully, two more games at Coors Field gets him on the right path.

3) Luis Severino

There must be something in Luis Severino’s contract that every time Sean Manaea throws a gem he has to pitch a dud the next day. Now 7-5 with a 4.06 ERA on the season, he has far less satisfying numbers than he did earlier this year. His 6 shutout innings against the Miami Marlins seems distant after the below-average version we’ve seen from him since.

A 5.68 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and .291 batting average against have stained the second-half for Sevy. He has been able to increase his strikeout total with 20 in those 19 innings. At what cost?

June was the month where everyone but McNeil was playing well. This includes Severino who went 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in 5 starts. He threw with conviction. The 5 walks allowed all month was less than half in any other—with the innings per start averaging more than any other as well. He struck out a monthly-low 20. His velocity was up against the Rockies on Tuesday but with little backing from the offense, he was bound to get a loss anyway.

Severino has been a pitcher of highs and lows this year with few extended streaks of excellence or pitching dreadfully. He gave up 6 earned runs against the Texas Rangers before bouncing back with 6 shutout innings versus the Chicago Cubs while striking out 10. Then came less productive outings against the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates. If the trend continues, after these last two and a half weaker starts (we’ll give him a half from the start against Atlanta), he should be able to look much better the next time he steps