Winning an MVP award is not for everybody. It requires a great deal of skill, consistency, and even an “X” factor that not all players possess. In the specific case of New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor, he has come close to the award in the past: he has finished inside the top ten in the voting process five times, two of them in Queens.
The 2024 campaign, however, could mark the first time in his career he finishes in the top three. At this point, and having recently entered the 40-40 club, it would be a shock if Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers doesn’t win the award, but we have seen surprises and shocking developments before. At the very least, Lindor certainly has an MVP case.
According to FanGraphs, Lindor has been the most valuable player in the National League by WAR, or Wins Above Replacement. He is fifth in MLB behind Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Juan Soto, and Gunnar Henderson, but he has no rivals in his league.
The Mets’ shortstop is the National League’s WAR king
Ohtani hasn’t played the outfield since 2021, which certainly helps the Mets infielder’s WAR totals exceed the Dodgers star’s. But a win is a win (so far, at least!), and Lindor has accumulated the most WAR in the National League at 6.5 as of Monday morning. That certainly matters, even though Ohtani is close at 6.3.
Lindor is on his way to another 30-30 campaign, just like he did last year. He currently has 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases as we get closer to the end of August. He is not a reckless runner, either: he has only been caught four times.
Lindor has given the Mets more than homers and steals, though. He is hitting a robust .269/.339/.487 with a .826 mark, which would be his best since 2019, but not only that, he has been a leader of men and a strong clubhouse presence.
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According to Covers.com, Lindor is currently ranked second in NL MVP odds, behind Ohtani. The latter is certainly the favorite and could even be looking at a unanimous selection depending on how the voters feel, but Lindor’s offensive, defensive, and baserunning prowess make him a worthy candidate.