NEW YORK – Francisco Lindor’s penchant for the big moment, an unquantifiable but undeniable plus point for his candidacy for the 2024 NL MVP, was on display twice on Tuesday in the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.
First there was the massive two-run home run in the third inning that opened the scoring and remained the Mets’ only hit until the seventh. Later, with runners on first and second base, there was the line drive over the left fielder’s head for a run-scoring double that started a game-winning four-run eighth inning.
“I want these moments,” Lindor said.
Each time, Lindor was showered with MVP chants from the home fans at Citi Field. Each time, there was a feeling in the Mets dugout that he had no choice but to make it.
“I think every time he’s at bat,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “we feel good about our chances.”
Lindor’s home run against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford on Tuesday gave him the fifth 30-home run season of his career. According to research by ESPN Sports and Information, he is tied with Ernie Banks for second all-time for 30 home runs among first-year shortstops. Only Alex Rodríguez (seven) has had more.
He also stole his 26th base on Tuesday, putting him just four bases away from his second consecutive 30/30 season. He joins Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry as one of three players to have 30 home runs and 25 steals in multiple seasons.
Lindor’s performance on Tuesday helped the Mets win their sixth straight, moving them a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves for the final wild-card spot in the NL and 11 games over their .500 record for the first time this season — one day after they were 10 games over their record for the first time this season.
This situation seemed unimaginable when Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the crowd and the team fell to 11 games under .500 before calling a players’ meeting on May 29.
Since then, the Mets are 53-31, the best record in baseball. It’s been a remarkable turnaround filled with good vibes, an improved starting lineup and a strong lineup led by Lindor, who overcame a poor start to the season to become Shohei Ohtani’s biggest rival for NL MVP.
“It’s been an incredible season,” Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said before the game. “I think we’re getting to the point where we’re talking about maybe the best season by an individual outfielder in the history of this franchise. I’ve had some really special seasons. I’ve had some MVP seasons. This season is at the top of the list of things I’ve experienced on a day-to-day basis.”
Still, Ohtani remains the overwhelming favorite to win MVP as he is coming off a historic offensive season in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He leads the NL in home runs, slugging, OPS, OPS+, runs scored and total bases. As of Tuesday, he already became the first player in MLB history to have 44 home runs and 46 stolen bases in a season. At this point, it’s just a matter of when, not if, he’ll become the first player to ever have a 50/50 season.
This would be Ohtani’s third MVP after winning the award twice in the AL with the Angels.
But Ohtani, who is recovering from elbow surgery, was the Dodgers’ designated hitter all season and won’t pitch again until 2025. And that’s the main argument for the 30-year-old Lindor: He plays defense – at an elite level and a premium position – and Ohtani hasn’t played everything.
Lindor’s contributions on both sides are why he leads the NL in fWAR ahead of Ohtani (7.0 to 6.6 through Tuesday). He has a .273 batting average with 30 home runs and an .843 OPS this season despite playing all 139 of the Mets’ games at shortstop.
“I appreciate the love the fans give me and I just have to keep putting on a good show for them so they keep getting louder,” Lindor said after his 2-for-4 performance on Tuesday that sparked more MVP chants.
Lindor’s numbers are current despite a terrible start to the season that left him off the NL All-Star team. The results changed when he moved up to the first batting spot on May 18. Since then, in 95 games, he has a .307 batting average with 23 home runs, 20 steals and a .937 OPS.
The defensive stats are far from exact, but Lindor’s 17 outs above average ranks him second among major league shortstops behind Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. And then there are his intangibles as a veteran who is widely considered a top-notch leader.
“I think that’s part of the total package that he brings,” Stearns said. “And it’s easy to quantify what he does on the field, and that’s really impressive. It’s a lot harder to quantify the impact that he has both through what he says and his actions. He works so hard. He takes so much pride in not only his preparation, but also making sure his teammates prepare appropriately. And it’s the total package that I think allows him to contribute so much to the organization.”
In the other dugout, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke glowingly of Lindor before Tuesday’s game. He recalled meeting Lindor in Puerto Rico as a minor leaguer when Lindor was a little leaguer. He knows the Lindor family, also from the city of Caguas, well.
Lindor’s re-emergence as an MVP candidate in his fourth season in New York inspires pride, Cora said.
“He’s just an impressive human being,” Cora said. “He has a charisma that not many guys in the major leagues have. From his walk-on song when things get really hot here, to his smile and his energy, to his commitment to the structure and discipline. This kid is on point with everything. Just watching him play is a joy for us. We love watching him play.”
So, does he think Lindor is the MVP of the NL?
“I’m glad I don’t have to choose,” Cora said. “But both are game-changing. We saw Othani earlier in the season. There are a lot of good players in the National League.”
“Obviously, at the end of the day, the playoffs are going to matter. I don’t think that’s necessarily something that voters have to consider, because if you have a great season and you’re in contention until the end, then you’ve done something great. But it’s going to be interesting. But the kid does everything.”
