Maybe Jeff McNeil was trying to exercise his early-season demons.
The former Met let out an expletive into a hot mic after he struck out in the top of the ninth that was so loud that the astronauts on the Artemis II could have heard it in space.
McNeil let out a massive “F–k!” after he tipped the ball into the glove of the Braves catcher Drake Baldwin who held on to the catch with his bare hand after it popped up during the Athletics’ 5-1 loss in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Warning: Adult language
The A’s second baseman had been taking a swing at a 2-2 slider from Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, which led to the ball getting clipped and landing in the glove of the catcher.
After that, McNeil made the outburst that was clearly picked up on the broadcast.
It’s a safe bet that the expletive was directed beyond just the lone out, as he’s struggled in the first few games with his new team since the 2026 season began.
McNeill is batting .077 through his first five games of the season and has just one hit in 13 at-bats. He went hitless in two at-bats as a pinch hitter on Wednesday.
Additionally, the club has struggled out of the gate, winning just one of its first six games, with the lone victory coming against the Braves on March 31.
McNeill is known for playing with fiery passion, and Wednesday was not the first time he was caught using an expletive after being struck out.
Last September, while still with the Mets, McNeil was caught on the field mic shouting, “F-K YOU, GOD DAMNIT!”
That incident occurred during a game against the Rangers at Citi Field when he struck out in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The comment was directed toward the home plate umpire and McNeil was quickly ejected from the game.
McNeil, a two-time MLB All-Star, was traded to the Athletics during the offseason in a deal that sent pitching prospect Yordan Rodríguez to Queens.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
