The New York Mets have stumbled out of the gates so far in 2023. Former MLB All-Star Jason Kipnis, who primarily played for the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) during his career, believes a lack of leadership could be the culprit for the Mets' difficult start this season. Kipnis even appeared to call his former Cleveland teammate Francisco Lindor's leadership into question, per Foul Territory on Twitter.

“All those veterans and no leadership,” Kipnis said of the Mets.

Former player and current analyst on Foul Territory AJ Pierzynski then asked Lindor the following question, “Well you played with Lindor. Was he a leader?”

“I'm gonna repeat it again, all those veterans and no leadership,” Kipnis responded.

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Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis were both key players for Cleveland in the mid-2010's decade. They led the ball club to the 2016 World Series before blowing a 3-1 lead in the Fall Classic to the Chicago Cubs. Regardless, it is surprising to hear that Kipnis feels this way. He didn't directly call out Lindor, but he is seemingly calling his former teammate's leadership into question.

The Mets certainly need leadership on their team. New York features more than enough talent to compete for a World Series title, but they currently sport a record of below .500. If this Mets team continues to struggle throughout the season, it would be considered a major disappointment.

It will be interesting to see if Lindor responds to Kipnis. The former Cleveland middle infield duo never had any rumors of friction between one another, but Kipnis' comments are attention-catching.