What would you do if you were neighbors with Brandon Nimmo?
Jeff McNeil, who has remained in Port St. Lucie since spring training was shut down last month due to the coronavirus, was faced with that question. So he started working out with his always-enthusiastic teammate.
"We've been able to workout together and hang out a little bit," McNeil said Thursday in an interview on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio. "He's super positive all the time, always smiling. It's been good living down the street from him. We've had some barbecues. He's not a bad person to hang out with when you're stuck at home the whole day."
Nimmo lives "three doors down" from McNeil and has created a mini-gym in his garage. The two teammates even found a batting cage to help stay in shape and McNeil said he hits three times a week.
"It's been tough. The whole complex is closed right now," McNeil said. "Have to try to make the best of it. The main thing for me is keeping my body in shape and going to the gym."
Though most Mets players returned to their year-round homes after news of the postponed baseball season, McNeil and Nimmo are joined in Port St. Lucie by Michael Wacha. The former Cardinals right-hander was acquired by the Mets on a one-year deal over the offseason. McNeil pointed to Wacha as a good signing by GM Brodie Van Wagenen, as he helps fill the hole Noah Syndergaard left behind in the rotation _ should the 2020 season be played. Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery late last month, and is expected to recover by April 2021.
When he's not spending time with familiar faces, McNeil is passing the time electronically.
"A few weeks ago I started playing a lot of video games," he said. "There's nothing really else to do."
McNeil is participating in the league's first-ever MLB The Show tournament, which raises funds for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada. The 30-player league includes 11 former All-Stars, five World Series champions and eight players aged 25 or younger. Each participant plays in a round-robin format throughout the month of April for a total of 29 three-inning regular season games. Fans can stream the games on multiple digital platforms, including YouTube and Twitch.
"It's been a good way to interact with the fans," McNeil said. "The fans are looking for something to watch right now so the tournament's been fun for them, and it's been fun for me as well."
This year, McNeil spent the majority of his spring training taking reps at the hot corner. He was expected to be the team's starting third baseman after earning his first All-Star nod as an outfielder in 2019.
In real baseball, McNeil is prone to swinging on the first pitch and making contact on pitches that are out of the strike zone, which results in spraying the ball all over the field. His approach in video games is a little different.
"As for pitching or hitting and which one I'm better at, I'm definitely a better hitter in this game. I keep it in the zone for the most part, kind of the opposite of who I am in real life. I swing at everything," McNeil said, laughing to himself.
"If it's a strike early in the count, I still swing," he said. "But, if it's a ball in the dirt, I have no chance of getting that in the game."
