Does Lindor Deserve NL MVP?

The Mets season has been a roller coaster so far and their shortstop, Fransisco Lindor has been a big part of it. A couple of years ago, the Mets traded for Lindor and they signed him to a 10 year, 341 Million dollar contract. When they gave him that contract, they expected him to be a MVP candidate year in and year out. So far he has not disappointed.

In the beginning of the season, to put it plain and simple, Lindor was terrible. In April 2024, Lindor was hitting .210 with 5 homers. Not something you expect from a superstar. Since Lindor wasn’t clicking, the Mets weren’t clicking. When June came around the Mets were 22-35 and were on the outside looking in to the postseason. They only had a 6% chance to make the playoffs.

Then when Grimace threw out the first pitch in June everything started clicking. Lindor started hitting. In the month of June lindor hit 290 with 11 doubles and 5 homers. The Mets had gotten themselves back into the playoff race.

Why does Lindor actually deserve MVP?

The clear NL MVP favorites are Shohei Ohtani, Fransisco Lindor, Ketel Marte and Elly de la Cruz. Over the past few weeks, Lindor and Ohtani have begun to separate themselves from the others. Lindor has been able to carry the Mets from the trenches into the thick of the playoff race. He has been a leader ever since he came from Cleveland to Queens. Without him, the Mets would be 15 GB a wild card spot. This still does not explain why he deserves MVP.

Lindor is more valuable to the Mets than any other player in the National League. The most common argument is Shohei Ohtani. Yes, obviously Ohtani is an amazing player but he is a DH and the Dodgers would still be a playoff team without him. Keep in mind that no DH has ever won the MVP. Lindor leads the entire NL in fWAR with 6.5 and Ohtani has 6.3. Yes, Ohtani does have the better offensive numbers but Lindors numbers are also elite. Lindor’s glove might be the best in the league. According to Baseball Savant, Lindor’s OOA ( Outs above Average) is in the 99th percentile. Every game, you will see him doing something incredible.

His Leadership

As I mentioned before Lindor is a leader for this Mets team and the latest article by Jeff Passan proves that. Jeff Passan talks about how MVPs are won in August and September because that is when a star players’s team needs them the most. That is exactly what Lindor has done. He has called team meeting when the he thought the team needed them. Everyday he plays with a smile on his face. He has captained this team into the thick of the playoff race and I am sure if the Mets make the postseason, Lindor shall be NL MVP.