1 Francisco Lindor certainty NY Mets fans can brace themselves to deal with

Coming off of a spectacular 2024 season which saw him finish second in the NL MVP race, New York Mets fans aren’t wrong to raise the bar for Francisco Lindor in 2025. He might not replicate all of those same numbers nor does he have to. The presence of Juan Soto should help him in some regard. A full year of hitting in the leadoff spot (this isn’t even a debate) will only further his ability to help the Mets get off to a strong start.

Life offers very few certainties. With Lindor, there is one we should prepare ourselves for in advance. He’s going to get off to a slow start and the onslaught of vitriol from fans of rival teams and self-loathing Mets season ticket holders will follow. His unsatisfactory spring training numbers are a preview of what we'll see for the first week or two as he gears up for what will end up being a much better season overall. Win the marathon, not the sprint.

Death, taxes, and a slow start from Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor

The first month of the year has been traditionally the most atrocious for Lindor. In March/April, he’s a lifetime .245/.326/.427 hitter. It’s the lowest sample of any month with 806 plate appearances. Naturally, it contains many other lows.

It’s not just the first month where Lindor has struggled. June hasn’t been spectacular either. He’s a lifetime .251/.313/.452 hitter in that month. It’s a tad better but not the kind of MVP performance we’d hope for.

As a whole, Lindor is nothing special in the first half. Pre-All-Star Game he has hit .262/.334/.461. This easily helps explain why in four seasons with the Mets he continues to get snubbed. He saves his best for the latter half of the year.

July has been his best month of all. Hitting .301/.369/.517 in the middle of the season, he has continued to knock around pitchers in August almost just as strongly. He’s a .300/.354/.475 hitter in that penultimate full month in the regular season. He doesn’t do much slowing down in September. Although the batting average dips, his .844 OPS is second to only the .886 from July. Overall, he’s a .290/.352/.501 hitter in the second half.

Players will gain a reputation for starting slow or fading late in the year. Generally, it’s great hitters who follow the direction of Lindor with the best pitchers who fit a narrative seemingly slowing down late in the year. Weather plays a factor, too. The warm summer air contributes to more offense. 

Lindor had an epically poor start last year and somehow managed to pull it all together for an incredible finish that was one Shohei Ohtani away from making him the league’s Most Valuable Player. Hitting only .197/.280/.359 before May last season, his numbers from June onward were incredible. He batted .306/.368/.575 in the second half of the year. We should expect more of the same from him in 2025. It’ll be an If-You-Know-You-Know situation every time a critic points it out. Fortunately, we know.