New York Mets star Francisco Lindor has played a pivotal role in the team's early success in 2025. Mark DeRosa, a former player who is now an MLB Network analyst, recently made an intriguing MVP admission about the Mets shortstop.

“He finished second last year to (Shohei) Ohtani, NL MVP,” DeRosa said on MLB Network. “He'd be your leading vote-getter right now, the way I see it.”

Is Francisco Lindor playing at an MVP level in 2025?

DeRosa credited Lindor's ability to come through in the clutch moments in addition to the Mets star's overall play. However, Lindor's numbers are not quite as impressive as one may be led to believe. He is currently slashing .271/.323/.424/.746 across 21 games played. Lindor has also hit three home runs and four doubles.

Francisco Lindor, a two-time Gold Glove winner, plays a respectable brand of defense at the shortstop position. He also stole 29 bases a season ago. Lindor is a 30-30 threat every season. Taking home NL MVP honors in 2025 will be a challenge, however.

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Shohei Ohtani is expected to begin pitching at some point. Between his offense and pitching prowess, Ohtani will surely be a serious MVP candidate once again.

Meanwhile, star players such as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Tucker have enjoyed scorching hot starts to the '25 campaign. Lindor's teammates Juan Soto and Pete Alonso may end up in the MVP conversation as well.

Nevertheless, Lindor should be in the conversation as long as he stays healthy. He does just about everything on the field and Lindor consistently finds a way to impact winning.

The Mets want to win the National League East in 2025. In order to achieve that goal, they will need Francisco Lindor to produce at an MVP-caliber level. When Lindor is playing up to his full potential, the Mets are unquestionably a better overall team.