Francisco Lindor‘s first season as a member of the New York Mets was a bit of a struggle.
Though he still managed to hit 20 home runs and drive in 63 runs, the 28-year-old shortstop struggled for average, hitting just .230 and being limited to 125 games due to injuries.
“Mr. Smile”, as he is often affectionately referred to as, is hoping for a bit of a bounce-back season.
For all the question marks surrounding the star shortstop, one former Mets legend seems to have faith that he will rebound from a tough 2021 campaign.
The legend in question is “The Captain”, David Wright, who drew comparisons to Carlos Beltran, who like Lindor, struggled in his first season as a Met, but came back stronger the next year and returned to form.
David Wright expects Francisco Lindor to have a bounce-back year in his second season in NY, comparing him to Carlos Beltran who signed a big deal with the Mets, had a tough 1st season then a monstrous ‘06
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) March 31, 2022
Knowing From Experience
This is some high praise from a franchise legend, but Wright can certainly attest to players having down years and then bouncing back, having been Beltran’s teammate from 2005-2011.
Lindor definitely has what it takes to recover from a down year and put up the big numbers that we’re all used to seeing him put up.
When he’s right, Lindor has the chance to be an MVP candidate, and he will be one of the X-factors for the Mets in 2022 as the team as a whole looks to rebound from a season in which they started off well but ultimately fell short of their goal, finishing in third place in the NL East with a 77-85 record.
Lindor’s 2019 numbers are more of a reflection of what type of player he’s capable of being.
He hit 32 home runs and drove in 74 while hitting for a .284 average with Cleveland.
If he can match those numbers, then the Mets should have a good chance at competing for NL East supremacy.
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