After several successful seasons with the Cleveland Guardians, the New York Mets traded for Francisco Lindor before the 2021 season and extended him with a $341 million contract that will keep him in Queens until his late 30s.
After a rough first season with the Mets that included a couple of uncomfortable moments with fans, who booed him at Citi Field a few times, he has cemented his place as one of the team leaders and actually performed like the player we saw in Cleveland in 2022.
He has embraced his role as everyone that young players look up to.
Today is his 29th birthday, and the organization went to Twitter to congratulate him.
Join us in wishing @Lindor12BC a happy birthday! 🎂🥳 pic.twitter.com/OmDrVF3TEB
— New York Mets (@Mets) November 14, 2022
Lindor may not have the same offensive upside of his Cleveland days, when he was capable of hitting more than 30 home runs and consistently stealing more than 20 bases per year.
Lindor Proved Critics Wrong With An Incredible 2022 Season
However, he showed in 2022 that he can still be an impact player in MLB.
In fact, he had his second-best season ever according to Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, with 6.8.
Lindor hit .270/.339/.449 with 26 home runs and 98 runs scored.
He drove in 107 runs and stole 16 bases.
Lindor’s wRC+ was 127: this particular stat measures offensive performance and adjusts it for era, ballpark, and other external factors.
100 is considered a league-average wRC+, so Lindor was 27 percent better than his peers and had his best output since his brilliant 2018 campaign.
His well-above average bat and incredible shortstop defense, together with his speed and athleticism plus his leadership skills, make him quite an asset for the up-and-coming Mets.
They finally made it to the postseason after several years on the outside looking.
If they are going to enjoy some October success, Lindor will be a big part of it.
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