Lindor Gets Noticed

[G-Fafif]

ESPN deep dive on the greatness of Francisco Lindor.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/409 ... -candidate

[G-Fafif]

BEFORE EVERY GAME, Francisco Lindor flits around the New York Mets' clubhouse, stopping at the lockers of green rookies and grizzled veterans, players from the United States and Venezuela and Japan and Cuba and the Dominican Republic. It's his ritual now, one performed out of equal parts desire and duty.

"I look forward to it every day," Mets left-hander Sean Manaea said. "The consistency, the positivity -- he really is like that every day."

He does it after the game, too, regardless of the circumstances, and whether it's with a pat on the back, a dap, a joke, a compliment, a wisecrack, a question or an embrace, Lindor seemingly manages the impossible: marrying extreme levels of wholesomeness with a sincerity that keeps it from growing cheesy. Earlier this month, after the Seattle Mariners held the Mets to one run in a three-game sweep, Lindor "is just walking around and saying: turn the page, enjoy the flight, enjoy your families, we'll get 'em Tuesday," said Mets reliever Adam Ottavino. "He is just hugging everybody, slapping five with everybody, making sure that we're all together. Because that's exactly who he is."

To those unfamiliar with the rhythms of a baseball season, Lindor's dismissal of a bad series could suggest a lack of care or urgency. In reality, the opposite is true. Lindor is the metronome. Now 30 years old and in his 10th major league season, he is acutely attuned to what the Mets' clubhouse needs at any given moment -- and, in fact, those inside it give him credit for launching the team back into playoff contention after a hellacious tailspin earlier this year.

This position in Queens didn't necessarily come easily for Lindor. After six drama-free years with Cleveland, his first season with the Mets in 2021 saw Lindor wrap his hands around the neck of his double-play partner in the tunnel during a game, flash a thumbs-down sign to fans who had booed his substandard performance and generally fail to ingratiate himself in the manner of a star who signed a 10-year, $341 million contract. The next year, he was featured prominently in the Mets' renaissance as they won 101 games. Last season, they flopped, having baseball's highest-ever payroll at more than $400 million but finishing nowhere close to even a .500 record. And now, in a year when little was expected, Lindor has grown into the best version of himself.

Which is saying something, because for a decade now, Lindor has been one of the finest players in baseball, building the sort of résumé to pave a path 200 miles from Queens to Cooperstown. He is nearly halfway to 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. He plays shortstop with grace and flash and consistency, with precious-metal gloves -- two gold, one platinum -- to show for it. In baseball history, only four shortstops finished their first 10 years with more Baseball-Reference wins above replacement (WAR) than Lindor's 48.0: Arky Vaughan, Alex Rodriguez, Cal Ripken Jr. and Pee Wee Reese.

Since 2015, Lindor ranks third among all MLB players in FanGraphs WAR behind only Mookie Betts and Mike Trout. And both by WAR and impact, this could be his greatest season yet. He tops the National League leaderboard, ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Ketel Marte, is one of seven players to have not missed a game this season and Thursday became the first shortstop ever with three seasons of 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He has found the sweet spot of personal and professional growth, embracing the responsibilities of being the face of a New York sports franchise while staying true to who he aspires to be. And with it have come the MVP chants at Citi Field, three letters that tell as much of a story about who he is as what he has done.

"It brings a smile to my face because it would be a dream," Lindor said, "but I understand we've still got a long way to go, and I've got to put up way better numbers. If the fans feel that way, it's fantastic. But I got to continue to climb. I got to continue to help the team win.

"MVPs are not won in June and July. MVPs are won in August and September."

Also quite a bit of previously unreported detail on The Meeting credited with getting the players’ heads right and Lindor’s role.

[Edgy MD]

In baseball history, only four shortstops finished their first 10 years with more Baseball-Reference wins above replacement (WAR) than Lindor's 48.0: Arky Vaughan, Alex Rodriguez, Cal Ripken Jr. and Pee Wee Reese.

Was John "Honus" Wagner floated around the field too much to count as a shortstop? Because he had way more than 48 WAR over his first 10 years. So did Ernie Banks, even if you discount year 10, which was his first after moving to first base.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Lindor really is a superb player. It's hard to imagine a better player this year in terms of doing everything he does as well as he does. Rarely if ever making a mistake on defense, stealing bases, driving HRs. Great player, great year.

[Edgy MD]

I imagine that it's a matter of philosophical differences, but if anybody should be named a captain, it's him.

What really impresses me is when, after he makes an out — even sometimes after he looks bad — as the next batter digs in, he sometimes grabs the on-deck guy and the guy in the hole, huddles them up and tells them what he's just learned about the pitcher.

[Benjamin Grimm]

They should go ahead and make him the team captain. (EDIT: Cross-posted with Edgy.)

I agree with Johnny; Lindor is a great Met. I expect he'll be in their Hall of Fame some day and he may even have his number among those fading in the sunlight atop the stadium.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

He should be in the serious running for MVP. Buster Olney has mentioned him in that context a couple times in recent weeks.

[Centerfield]

What really impresses me is when, after he makes an out — even sometimes after he looks bad — as the next batter digs in, he sometimes grabs the on-deck guy and the guy in the hole, huddles them up and tells them what he's just learned about the pitcher.

Ron Darling has called this out a few times too. Really a sign of great character.

Like Beltran before him, I think the criticism stings him. I hate that some of us can't see the greatness right before our eyes.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I also agree that Lindor is a great player. It could be difficult to properly appreciate him because so much of his value is in his defense. He's about as good a fielding shortstop as there is, but without necessarily being spectacular looking in the field. And shortstop is one of the two or three most important every-day playing positions in baseball, maybe even the most important.

[CitiFieldPornRoom]

Nice of Olney to finally notice, 4 years in, that Lindor is awesome.

[MFS62]

In baseball history, only four shortstops finished their first 10 years with more Baseball-Reference wins above replacement (WAR) than Lindor's 48.0: Arky Vaughan, Alex Rodriguez, Cal Ripken Jr. and Pee Wee Reese.

I think Pee Wee's WAR numbers should remind the casual fan that there's more to WAR than just offense. Those were the days that shortstop was primarily a defensive position, and any offense you got from a shortstop was gravy.
And he missed three years to military service in the middle of those ten years.

Later

[G-Fafif]

Arky.
Pee Wee.
Baseball names were more fun then.

[Fman99]

Lindor is my favorite Met and has been for some time. He's the easiest guy on the team to root for, except maybe with the exception of Brandon Nimmo, and he's been locked in for nearly all of the last 3+ months.

[The Hot Corner]

Lindor may not have the official title of Captain, but it is pretty apparent that he is the heart, soul, and leader of this Mets team.

[metirish]

Pretty amazing when I think back to his wife near daily defending him on Twittwr when he and the team were struggling

[G-Fafif]

Francisco Lindor is your National League Player of the Week.

[Edgy MD]

Third Met to win the award this season.

The Dodgers lead with four, including Shohei Ohtani twice.

[nymr83]

I also agree that Lindor is a great player. It could be difficult to properly appreciate him because so much of his value is in his defense. He's about as good a fielding shortstop as there is, but without necessarily being spectacular looking in the field. And shortstop is one of the two or three most important every-day playing positions in baseball, maybe even the most important.

There is a lot of season left to play, but right now I would say Lindor is the MVP. The other candidates have missed a significant number of games or have sat comfortably on the bench with a martini while their teammates slogged through over 1,000 innings of playing defense.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I also agree that Lindor is a great player. It could be difficult to properly appreciate him because so much of his value is in his defense. He's about as good a fielding shortstop as there is, but without necessarily being spectacular looking in the field. And shortstop is one of the two or three most important every-day playing positions in baseball, maybe even the most important.

There is a lot of season left to play, but right now I would say Lindor is the MVP. The other candidates have missed a significant number of games or have sat comfortably on the bench with a martini while their teammates slogged through over 1,000 innings of playing defense.

But what if Ohtani's offensive output is more valuable than Lindor's entire output and it can be proven indisputably -- statistically and mathematically? What if Ohtani were to hit 80 HR's? Just sayin'. Would it be fair to punish Ohtani in the MVP vote for DHing with that kind of production?

If your answer is "yes", then what you are actually saying is that Ohtani has to play the field to win an MVP award even if his defense turns out to be horrible and detracts from, rather than adds to his offensive value.

[nymr83]

I'm treating any DH 'as if' they are already a negative on defense. It shouldn't be impossible for them to win the award but the bar is going to be a lot higher.

[metsmarathon]

if you're looking at fWAR, not playing defense is already factored into the calculation. currently ohtani is issued a 14 run demerit for sipping martinis, whereas lindor has a 15.7 run credit to his balance.

this effectively evens out the offensive difference between the two players, 56.5 runs vs 27.9

lindor currently has a statistically irrelevant edge in fWAR at 6.6 to 6.4

bbref has lower emphasis on defense it seems, as ohtani is given a -11 run demerit to lindor's +10 credit, leading to ohtani's 6.7 to 6.0 bWAR advantage. i think fWAR's defensive metrics are held to a higher regard than bWAR, but i may be mistaken.

i think the mets need to make the playoffs for lindor to have a real shot at the mvp, and even then it might not be enough. lindor would need to have a hell of a hot streak down the stretch to propel the team. threatening a 50-50 season while also being in the triple crown and triple slash crown hunt on a first place team is pretty damned tough to beat. especially with all those martinis sloshing around in his belly.

[Edgy MD]

Plenty o' season left for the factors to change, of course.

I tend to think, as valuable as All-Star-level hitting while playing shortstop at a high level is, hitting more productively than anybody in the league while sipping martinis in between plate appearancess may be an even more impressive trick.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It's nice that Lindor is being considered as a candidate, but I'd be very surprised if he won. Especially since it's looking more and more likely that his team won't make the postseason.

[metirish]

Yeah, I'm not really seeing it happening

[Frayed Knot]

He's got a 9th, 5th, 6th, 15th, 9th, and 9th on his resume (those last two as a NYM) so there's a good chance that this year will be his highest placing.
With the way they handle things these days by pre-announcing the finalists (I still hate it!) we'll know ahead of time whether or not he'll be one of
those 'on the podium'.
In addition to Ohtani, Ketel Marte and Marcel Ozuna are likely top candidates. Voters would have to strongly consider defense because he's 100+
OPS points behind those guys and 20 or so points out of the NL's top ten.