Despite not receiving an invite to the MLB All-Star Game earlier this summer, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has continued to put up numbers that have put him squarely in the conversation for the National League’s Most Valuable Player award. In fact, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had high praise for his veteran infielder when he spoke with the New York media on Sept. 3.
Lindor, 30, had finished in the top 10 of MVP voting on five occasions in his 10-year career but never higher than fifth. However, he has won two Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards and could add one of each of those again this season.
He is also chasing history. Lindor hit his 30th home run and stole his 26th base on Sept. 3. He has the rest of September to become a 30-30 club member for a second time. That would make him the first shortstop in MLB history to reach that distinction twice in his career.
Indeed, Lindor became only the fifth shortstop in major league history to reach both benchmarks in the same season last year when he hit 31 home runs and stole 31 bases. Barry Larkin was the first shortstop in 1996 with the Cincinnati Reds, followed by Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jimmy Rollins (2007) and Hanley Ramirez (2008).
Lindor’s combination of power and speed puts him in elite company in the recent history of the game. But he is also building a resume that could see him with a plaque in Cooperstown at some point down the road.
Since being selected ninth overall in the first round of the historic 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, Lindor has become one of the most consistent, reliable middle infielders in the game. The back of his baseball card compares favorably to some other shortstops who have already been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Derek Jeter, the most recent shortstop voted into the Hall of Fame by the writers, spent his entire 20-year career as the shortstop of the New York Yankees. He was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1996, appeared in 14 All-Star Games, won five Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, and a World Series MVP. However, even with his defensive hardware, Baseball Reference has him rated a -9.4 defensive WAR player for his career. He hit 260 home runs and stole 358 bases in 2,747 career regular-season games.
Larkin, who was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, appeared in 12 All-Star Games and won three Gold Glove Awards and nine Silver Slugger Awards. He won the National League MVP in 1995 with 15 home runs and 51 stolen bases. He was the first shortstop to have a 30-30 season.
Cal Ripken Jr. was primarily a shortstop for the Orioles from 1982 to 1997, appearing in 2,520 games during that stretch. Over those seasons, Ripken hit 370 home runs and stole 36 bases. He won two American League MVP Awards (1983, 1991), two Gold Glove Awards, and eight Silver Slugger Awards. He was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Robin Yount had a fabulous career in Milwaukee. He spent the first 11 years of his 20-year career as a shortstop, during which time he hit 129 home runs and stole 142 bases. He had a .276 average, .788 OPS, and 112 OPS+, while his primary position was shortstop. He was the American League MVP in 1982 and won two Silver Slugger Awards and one Gold Glove Award as a shortstop.
Lindor led the then-Cleveland Indians to the World Series in 2016, where they lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games. When he signed a 10-year contract extension worth $341 million with the New York Mets on March 31, 2021, the hope was that he could help lead them to similar heights. But the Mets have only appeared in one postseason since his arrival.
Entering the action on Sept. 4, the Mets have won their last six games and are now just 0.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves for the final wild-card berth in the National League.
While it appears the National League Most Valuable Player Award will go to Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani this year because of his historic campaign, Lindor certainly has an argument to finish second. And, if he can help the Mets return to the postseason and make a deep run, his legend will grow in New York.
And his Hall of Fame résumé will have another strong season added to his consideration down the road.
