Subscribe
Follow Us
Could New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor be an MVP candidate? MLB insider Jon Heyman seems to think so.
On his podcast ‘Around the Bases,' Heyman said that Lindor is unequivocally a candidate to win the National League's Most Valuable Player award.
“[The Mets are] doing great, Lindor's clearly an MVP candidate,” Heyman said. “Today as we're about to post, he's got a 5 WAR now. He's only a little behind [Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei] Ohtani, who's 5.5…”
Heyman explained that in addition to Lindor's strong play this season, Ohtani would have to become an unprecedented MVP winner considering he is a full-time DH (due to recovering from UCL surgery) and no full-time DH has ever won an MVP before.
Francisco Lindor having his best season with the Mets?
After being traded to the New York Mets by Cleveland before the 2021 season, Francisco Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million deal. Depending on who you asked, he struggled to live up to the massive deal in his first few seasons with the Mets; Lindor had a .254 AVG, .333 OBP, .447 SLG, and .780 OPS while earning nearly $100 million in his first three years in Queens.
This year has been different for Lindor, as he is sporting the highest slugging percentage and OPS of his Mets tenure (.480 and .815, respectively). Additionally, he has 22 home runs and 62 RBIs so far, which puts him on pace for about 35 home runs and 98 RBIs by the end of the season, which would be near the highest marks of his career.
Before the season, Lindor said he “one-hundred percent” believed his best baseball was yet to come.
“I see the way so many are playing at a high level after they turn 30,” Lindor said, according to Mike Lupica. “It’s why I continue to learn, continue to work and continue to want to be there for my team every single day that I can.”
Like Lindor, the Mets have been a pleasant surprise this season, particularly after their disappointing 2023 campaign. A year after winning just 75 games, New York has already won 55 games and sits in second place in the NL East.
While the Philadelphia Phillies will likely stay ahead, the Mets are in the proverbial driver's seat for a Wild Card position; they are currently half of a game ahead of the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres for the first Wild Card spot.
The Mets can grow that lead as they continue their weekend series vs. the Braves.
