In order to reach their full potential, the New York Mets need the 2018 and 2019 version of Francisco Lindor, not the 2020 or the 2021 version.
In 2018, he finished with 38 homers, 25 steals, and a .871 OPS; while a year later, he homered 32 times with 22 thefts and a .854 OPS.
His OPS collapsed to .750 and .734 in 2020 and 2021, however, so fans are watching his performance closely in 2022.
So far, so good: after a solid spring, Lindor hit two home runs in the Mets’ 10-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon.
He is already up to three home runs in the year, a very good sign for things to come and a stark improvement over last year, as Newsday’s Tim Healey reminds us.
“Dates of Francisco Lindor’s third homer of the season… 2021: May 15. 2022: April 15,” he wrote.
Dates of Francisco Lindor's third homer of the season…
2021: May 15
2022: April 15
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 15, 2022
Lindor Is Having A Stellar April, Unlike Last Year
Lindor had a rough start to his Mets tenure last year, as he slashed .182/.297/.234 with one homer and a .530 OPS in April.
He wasn’t having a good time, constantly hitting the ball on the ground and getting booed just weeks into his Mets tenure.
He seems confident and improved in 2022, however, and after Friday’s game, he is batting .296 with an excellent .457 OBP and a 1.161 OPS.
He has eight runs scored, three homers, seven RBI and even a couple of steals.
Lindor is still 28, so he is, theoretically, entering his prime: it’s easy to envision a rebound season this year, now that he has had some time to get used to the new league, team, city, and surroundings.
Just like a healthy Jacob deGrom is crucial for the rotation to offer its best performance and value, a locked-in Lindor will give the Mets a proven player at the top of their lineup to navigate through the season; a true game-changer on both offense and defense.
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