Francisco Lindor’s first season with the Mets couldn’t have gone much worse, though if his performance this spring is any indication, the All-Star shortstop should be in for a bounce-back 2022. The 28-year-old delivered a monster performance in Tuesday night’s rout of Miami, reaching base in each of his three plate appearances with a homer—his fourth in six Grapefruit League appearances—and four RBI.
A two-time Gold Glove recipient, Lindor’s defense also appears to be in midseason form. Watch him lay out for this hard-hit grounder to the left side, then recover and make a strong throw to first baseman Pete Alonso to rob Brian Anderson of a base hit.
Lindor is slashing an impressive .474/.500/1.211 this spring, leading the majors in both home runs and RBI (10). Six of his nine hits have gone for extra bases, homering in three of his last four games with two coming Sunday against St. Louis.
Acquired from Cleveland in a blockbuster trade last winter, Lindor agreed to a 10-year, $341-million contract extension before Opening Day, making him the highest-paid shortstop in MLB history. Lindor’s debut season in Queens was largely a disaster, though he showed signs of life down the stretch, finishing the year on a high note with nine homers and 25 RBI in the month of September.
Coming off a frustrating third-place finish in the NL East (77-85), the Mets went on an offseason spending spree, luring free agents Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha, among other reinforcements. Owners of the league’s second-highest payroll at a robust $251.72 million, the Mets are well-positioned to end their five-year playoff drought, though it could be an uphill battle in a loaded National League East, with the reigning World Series champion Braves and retooled Phillies both posing major threats.
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