When Jeff McNeil learned he was an All-Star, he didn't call his wife or parents. He called his agent.
During All-Star media availability on Monday, McNeil admitted to keeping the All-star information to himself. He wanted to wait until ESPN aired the results of the entire All-Star team rosters for his wife to find out.
"I didn't call the wife. I know they did the whole ESPN show and I just played dumb for her, 'I don't know if I made it. You're gonna have to watch.' She ended up watching on TV and saw my name pop up."
McNeil said it became apparent that he could make the All-Star team "about a month ago," as he continued to stay hot at the plate. Leading the MLB in batting average at the moment, it's a no-brainer that McNeil made the trip to Cleveland for the game.
"It's pretty incredible," he said about his first All-Star experience. "Just seeing the best players in baseball here. Really excited and it should be a fun day."
Being around some of the game's best, McNeil said Clayton Kershaw specifically is someone he's excited to play with.
"I've always been a Kershaw fan," McNeil said. "Back in college, I used to go watch him pitch all the time so getting to play alongside him will be pretty fun."
But all of that will come tomorrow when McNeil dons the blue and orange in front of the Progressive Field crowd. Tonight, he has a different job: being Pete Alonso's right-hand man in the Home Run Derby.
"Yeah, I'll be out there," he said. "I guess Pete wants me to kinda watch him and call his timeout if he's starting to struggle. He should kinda know when to call it as well, but then I gotta bring him Gatorade.
"I'm his hype man, towel boy, water boy."
Like McNeil, Alonso is trying to soak in his first All-Star Game experience, and it's only fitting that these two best friends are representing the Mets on one of the biggest stages in baseball.