These Mets have a chance to be All-Stars this year

Mets All-Star No. 3: SS Francisco Lindor

Lindor has been one of the two best shortstops in the National League bar none through two months of this season. He is currently batting .259 with 9 home runs, 45 RBI's (ranked third among all National League players), 39 runs scored (fifth in the league), and a .789 OPS (second best among all league shortstops).

He's been a dynamic playmaker both offensively and defensively all season, and it is much needed as he began his new $341 million contract this season, and is as important a player as any, with the leadership he brings and shear talent. This has been, though, a bounce back campaign for Lindor, who only got his 45th run batted in on September 7 last year and his ninth home run on July 11. The differences between Lindor last season and this season have been overwhelming.

Lindor is currenty on pace for 26 doubles, 26 home runs, 131 RBI, 113 runs scored, 160 hits, and 20 stolen bases. That's pretty good for a shortstop, huh?

Both Lindor and Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner have the two best cases to start at shortstop for the National League. And that too will be an interesting race, as Turner helped his All-Star case with his home run in Sunday's loss to the Mets. Turner has 44 RBI's and six homers, along with both a .299 batting average and an .821 OPS, both better than Lindor. But nonetheless, like we saw in the Mets-Dodgers series this weekend, the Mets shortstop and Dodgers shortstop are on a class of their own right now.

So barring something dramatic, Lindor is on the fast track to returning to Dodger Stadium in six weeks on his fifth All-Star team and first as a met.