NY Mets: 3 accomplishments we want from Francisco Lindor

The Francisco Lindor era has gotten off to a New York Mets-y start. New York currently sits at 26-20, three-and-a-half games up over the second-place Atlanta Braves, despite having a sizable chunk of their lineup and starting rotation on the mend.

However, that success has coincided with a rough patch, arguably the roughest patch, in Lindor’s career.

Francisco Lindor’s Mets career hasn’t started off as hoped

For much of this season, Lindor has battled with the Mendoza Line. While he remains an effective option at shortstop, Lindor is fighting off a slow start to his first year as a Met. Despite a low on-base percentage, Lindor is sporting an 11.3% walk rate with contact rates that mirror some of his best seasons in Cleveland. His BABIP is below average, a measly .212, which could suggest that he’s hitting the ball right into spaces where defenders are.

After signing a 10-year, $341 million contract with the Mets on the eve of opening day, Francisco Lindor is set to be a Met for the foreseeable future. With an early hitting slump and minor hitting streak under his belt, Lindor has seen both sides of the New York faithful. With the Mets playing well and Lindor coming off a solid week, let’s look at what the former first-round pick has to do to solidify himself amongst the Mets legends.

Here are three things the Mets shortstop must complete during his career as a Met.

Win National League Most Valuable Player

Before we jump to Lindor, let’s talk about some Mets history.

No Mets player has ever won the NL MVP award, with players like Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, and Tom Seaver finishing second. Carlos Beltran was robbed in 2006 (fourth place?), while David Wright’s 2007 fourth-place finish is a crime when looking at the voting. The less said about the 2007 Mets, the better.

Jacob deGrom, you may ask? He never finished in the top three, despite being one of the best players in the National League since his debut. Regardless, Lindor, now viewed as New York’s franchise player, would do well for his career a Met if he finally brought the award home.

Lindor has never won the AL MVP during his tenure with the Cleveland Indians, finishing as high as fifth in 2017. That year, Lindor finished with .273/.337/.505 to go with 33 home runs, 99 RBI, and 19 stolen bases, as Cleveland finished with 102 wins. Lindor’s combination of offensive value and elite play in the field netted him his highest-ever finish for the award.

While Lindor isn’t an elite power hitter, his combination of counting stats (doubles, batting average) with solid power production and gold glove-like defense will allow him to contend for the award. Once Lindor’s numbers stabilize this season, expect to see the stat line that would make him a contender for years to come – a good home run totals, a solid amount of doubles, and a handful of stolen bases.

There’s no chance for Lindor to win this season, but I wouldn’t count out Lindor moving forward. As the Mets get healthy on both the pitching and hitting side, the team will play well, taking some of the pressure off of Lindor to produce. In turn, having the likes of Brandon Nimmo in front of him, with Michael Conforto, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil behind him, Lindor will see some more hittable pitches, will break out of his slump, and will be a key piece to the Mets winning.

Win five Gold Gloves Awards

The shortstop position has been a bit of a weird spot for the Mets. Since Jose Reyes’ departure, the Mets have run the gamut of shortstops – some who could field, but can’t hit, while others could hit but couldn’t field.  Omar Quintanilla, Ruben Tejada, Alex Cora, Wilmer Flores, (bad) Justin Turner, and Amed Rosario all got chances to hold down the position. Only Asdrubal Cabrera and Andres Gimenez offered positive value.

In short, the Mets have lacked that true two-way shortstop despite overtures of the roster multiple times.

One of the biggest benefits of the Lindor trade was the upgrade defensively. Lindor came to New York from Cleveland with two gold gloves and a reputation as an elite defender. And such needs to maintain his elite defender status. So far this season, Lindor remains a good defender, with most of his defensive stats ranging positive. We even have some gems this season that has easily saved the Mets some runs and even save some games.

Lindor has two Gold Gloves so far in his career, so the idea of him winning 10 feels unrealistic. At some point, Father Time wins, meaning Lindor will most likely shift to either second or third as he gets closer to his mid-30’s. For the next 11 seasons, let’s say 5 Gold Gloves – 3 at shortstop, 2 at his new position – giving the Mets fan a stable defender, regardless of position – for most of his contract.