3 players Mets fans are no longer complaining about

2) Francisco Lindor has New York Mets fans smiling

A year ago Mets fans began booing Francisco Lindor. The dynamic shortstop had somehow lost his effervescent smile as well as his reliable and productive bat. It didn’t help that his buddy Javier Baez was taunting the fans with his immature antics. Lindor, unfairly as it may be, caught the fans’ angst in much the same way as Carlos Beltran did when he first arrived in Queens.

That will happen when you are billed as a special talent, and then fail in New York. Factor in the 2022 seasons that Amed Rosario and Andre Gimenez are having as the Cleveland Guardians keystone combination, and rest assured that New York Mets fans are going to hold you accountable.

But after he struggled to get going in 2021, Lindor finished strong to end the season. And while his buddy Baez has been a major flop in Detroit, Lindor is now displaying the talent, abilities, and exuberance that Mets fans were clamoring for. Situated perfectly in the No. 3 spot in the order between Starling Marte and Pete Alonso, Lindor has his average at .274 with 21 home runs and 84 runs batted in. He also has scored 80 runs and swiped 13 bases while playing stellar defense. He is on pace to finish with 28 homers, 112 RBI, and 107 runs scored.

That is the kind of production that has been missing from the No. 3 spot in the Mets order for a very long time. Lindor has given the Mets the kind of player – at shortstop - that they haven’t seen since Jose Reyes was in his prime. And it seems to be enough to turn the boos into cheers amongst the Mets faithful.