Where Mets players should have ranked in a New York sports athlete poll

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor ranked 7th on this list is fair game.

Francisco Lindor was the big-ticket position player that ushered in a new era of New York Mets baseball under owner Steve Cohen, who took over from the Wilpons in late 2020. He was a perennial All-Star in Cleveland for half a decade before taking his talents to Flushing and eventually agreeing to a $341 million extension that should take him to the end of his career.

Lindor has been a difference maker in multiple facets for the Mets, and the ripple effects of his presence are felt throughout as Steve Cohen wanted to bring in players that could change the culture in Flushing.

We’ve seen the leadership he brought to the defense. For about a decade, the Mets were one of the most defensively challenged teams in baseball, but it felt like everyone else on the team got better defensively (looking especially at Brandon Nimmo) when Lindor arrived.

We saw in 2022 what he can do offensively. He drove in 107 runs, hit 26 home runs, scored 98 runs, and stole 16 bases and is one of the two most productive shortstops in Mets history (alongside Jose Reyes). And he is one of the most indispensable players in the sport and it is hard to replace him.