When it’s time for the Miami Marlins to appear on the New York Mets schedule, the smile across the face of Francisco Lindor just seems to get a little wider and brighter.
Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets is having a very solid season against the Miami Marlins
In five games this season against the Miami Marlins, Lindor has made his 20 at-bats count for the New York Mets, slashing .300/.364/.800 with three home runs and 11 RBI. That included a first for Lindor on Friday night.
Those numbers above include the first-inning home run below that Lindor squared up off Miami starter Sandy Alcantara and blasted just over the center field wall. According to MLB.com, it marked the first time in Lindor’s career that he had taken a pitch that registered at 99 mph or higher (this pitch was at 99.1 mph) out of the park.
Lindor’s .800 slugging percentage this season against the Marlins is only surpassed by the .833 he put up in seven games against the San Francisco Giants this year. However, Lindor is done playing the Giants (until perhaps the postseason) while he still has 14 games remaining against the Marlins this year.
While Lindor has tormented teams on both coasts, putting up big numbers against San Francisco and Miami, he has also (some would say quietly) put together a season that could put him in the early MVP conversation. His 56 RBI is the fourth-highest total for any MLB player, and he and Pete Alonso represent a rarity in today’s MLB, making the Mets the only team with two players with more than 50 RBI.
No shortstop in Mets history has had more RBI before the All-Star break than Lindor has already posted this season. He still has two more games this weekend at the Marlins and four more in New York from July 7-10, meaning he could well add to that total against a team that he has already found great success this season.