Ranking the 5 most important people within the Mets franchise

3. Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor's first year in Flushing was a little underwhelming. He got off to a brutal start and also ended up missing over a month with an oblique injury. However, he did turn it on after May 29th, posting an .833 OPS and hitting 17 home runs. He also played an elite shortstop all year, posting 20 outs above average according to baseball savant which led the major leagues.

When the Mets traded for Lindor, they thought they were getting their new face of the franchise, but he didn't play like it. The .833 OPS with the elite defense is what they thought they'd be getting, but that doesn't take away the brutal April and most of May. The Mets need a consistent Lindor in 2022 and beyond.

He ranks third on this list because of the extension he signed. The Mets committed ten years and $341 million dollars to Lindor, preventing him from entering free agency after the 2021 season and locking him up likely for the rest of his career in Flushing.

The length of the contract and the price tag on it makes it vital that Lindor plays like a $30 million dollar a year player. He should be going to all-star games and winning Gold Gloves. He should be a key reason the Mets make it back to the postseason and win a World Series.

Year one was about getting acclimated, now the extension has kicked in. It's time for Lindor to produce like the player we all know he can be.