BOSTON — Jeff McNeil has come a long way at the perfect time.

In a terribly depressing season for the Mets, McNeil offers hope that keeps coaches going, that their hard work is worth it, as McNeil has progressed defensively at second base and has been a magician at the plate. All that enables fans to see a glint of success for the future.

That was needed on a day like Saturday when the Mets blew a 3-1 lead to lose 5-3 to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

McNeil, 26, picked up another hit, one of just two the Mets produced, and made an incredible leaping catch on a J.D Martinez flair to right in the sixth, He has hit safely in 24 of his past 26 starts.

His .335 batting average (57-for-170) since his debut (150 minimum plate appearances) is the highest average in franchise history through 50 games.

In a time when strikeouts are an epidemic, McNeil rarely strikes out.

“I hate to strike out,’’ McNeil told The Post. “I’ve been that way my whole life. I was the same way in Little League where I struck out like once a year.’’

What happened that one time a year?

“I was mad,’’ McNeil said with a smile. “It was always the umpire’s fault too. They were always called strikes. It’s like playing Wiffle ball with my brothers, put the ball in play.

“If they shift on me I try to hit it to the left side of the infield,’’ McNeil said. “I kind of enjoy that because I can just hit the ball to left field for a single.’’

His hitting skills come in handy on the links as well, where he is a scratch golfer. As for Saturday’s catch, McNeil, who has been nicknamed, though not by choice, Squirrel by teammates, became Flying Squirrel.

Real Deal might be a better nickname.

In 187 plate appearances, McNeil has struck out 17 times. That is remarkable.

His biggest problem at the plate is sometimes he puts the ball in play too quickly, which happened twice Saturday.

“We want to make sure that balls he swings at early are balls that he can do something with, he’s got such great bat-to-ball skills that he almost has to be careful that he doesn’t put marginal pitches in play,’’ hitting coach Pat Roessler said. “He’s as competitive as hell. Nothing intimidates him. He thinks he can get a hit off anybody. He’s done a great job.’’

As for his glove, infield coach Gary DiSarcina has done a magnificent job with McNeil, making key adjustments. On the double play he’s moved McNeil’s throwing hand closer to his glove when accepting throws, improving his quickness on throws to first and has McNeil using his left foot to get to the bag and right foot to the ball to come through and make the throw to first.

“Catch it here,’’ DiSarcina said, demonstrating by moving his hands close together “and just pull it out to your ear, it’s a small adjustment but at this level with the speed of the runners, you have to do it. He bounced around in the minors at so many positions he didn’t have time to work at it.’’

As for footwork, McNeil made a great point to DiSarcina noting in the minors they don’t have replay so you could get away with the neighborhood tag of second base. But not in the majors, which made that adjustment crucial.

“He really works hard,’’ DiSarcina said. “As a hitter, he’s unconventional, he’s a little bit like Ichiro [Suzuki] sometimes, his swing and his feet are moving and he is running out of the box, he’ll slap balls. With two strikes he’s almost like a slasher. He puts the ball in play. Nowadays, with launch angle and everybody swinging for the fences and having that one grooved swing, he stands out. He’s different. When teams shift him we kind of laugh.’’

Mickey Callaway said McNeil has produced offensively and defensively way beyond the Mets expectations. “He continues to impress us not only at the plate but in the field,’’ Callaway said. “We’re glad we are getting this long look at him.’’

Now, at least second base looks promising.