The New York Mets are currently not in a postseason spot, but they are very much in the hunt.
They are just three games out of the third and last Wild Card position in the National League, alive and looking to pounce.
The main reason why they have been competitive in a year that was supposed to be a transition one has a name: Francisco Lindor.
The All-Star shortstop is enjoying one of his finest campaigns in recent years, and most specialists say he is currently second in the NL MVP race behind Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani.
One Mets insider, however, thinks Lindor has done enough to take home the award even ahead of the Japanese star.
“Francisco Lindor has a 27-game on-base streak. He is on pace to finish season with 34 homers, 42 doubles, 110 runs scored, and 96 RBI. He is the best defensive shortstop in baseball. He plays literally every game. He leads the NL in fWAR. He should be the MVP over Shohei Ohtani,” SNY’s Danny Abriano wrote on X.
The Mets star has a strong case
For the season, the former Cleveland Guardian is hitting a cool .270/.339/.490 with 28 round-trippers, 25 steals and a 134 wRC+.
Those are some really impressive numbers.
Ohtani should certainly be viewed as the favorite, though: he already entered the 40-40 club and we’re are not even in September.
He could potentially become the first member of the 50-50 club, too, all while leading the Dodgers in their own division race.
Lindor, however, could certainly make things interesting.
He plays top-notch defense, he is the clubhouse leader and soul of the Mets, and he leads the NL in Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Should that be enough to edge Ohtani? In the eyes of Abriano, it’s a yes. Voters will have the last word, though.
