Francisco Lindor was brought in by the New York Mets for a very specific reason – he was to be one of the superstars that they build around. As a 27 year old five tool shortstop who had already put together an impressive resume, snagging Lindor, and then signing him to a long term extension, was considered a coup for the Mets.
Except that has not been the case thus far. Lindor has been a hit in the locker room; his cheerful personality and constant smile making him a favorite of his teammates. But at some point, he will need to be a hit on the diamond as well, which has not been the case.
New York Mets need Francisco Lindor to step up
As Lindor has struggled, the Mets have gone through a horrific stretch of injuries. Their entire starting infield, aside from Lindor, is on the Injured List. The Mets are on their fifth string centerfielder. Some days, their lineup appears to be closer to a Triple-A lineup than one that should be on a major league team.
This is what the Mets acquired Lindor for. He is supposed to be the player that they can hitch their cart to, the one that can almost singlehandedly transform the lineup. He just has not been that player in New York, producing a .185/.294/.272 batting line with three homers, four doubles, and four steals in 179 plate appearances.
The Mets showed their faith in Lindor this offseason. After rescuing him from Cleveland, he was signed to a ten year extension worth $341 million despite a down year in 2020. The hope was that a change of scenery, coupled with a normal offseason, would allow Lindor to be the player he had been in the past.
It is time that Lindor rewards that faith. The Mets lineup has been atrocious, ranking dead last in the National League with just 143 runs scored and 14th with a .651 OPS. It is time that Lindor steps up and puts the Mets lineup on his back as they look to build upon their lead in the NL East.
The New York Mets put their faith in Francisco Lindor. It is time that he steps up and rewards their confidence that he can return to form.