Midway through May, when he was holding a lackluster .229 batting average and .389 slugging percentage, many wondered when Francisco Lindor would start playing like the superstar he was in Cleveland and prove his worth when it came to the $341 million contract extension he signed before last season.
Then, the Mets shortstop went on a tear, raising his season OPS to .800 and putting himself in the All-Star discussion after batting .333 with a 1.009 OPS over a 16-game stretch, and even enjoyed a 10-game stretch in that run where he logged at least one RBI in each game.
But, since the calendar flipped to June, Lindor has struggled yet again. His wRC+ is a lowly 55 percent below league average this month, while his walk rate has dipped to six percent after walking at least 10 percent of the time the rest of the season.
It has once again opened the door for concern in the eyes of Brandon Tierney, who wonders if Lindor will ever consistently produce like he did in Cleveland.
"He was looking like Francisco Lindor, and since then he's got cold," BT said during Wednesday's show. "I understand there are fluctuations with any star player. it's the nature of baseball…but it needs to be pointed out. It's year two, we're almost at the halfway mark, and he has not shown the ability to sustain a high level of play."
BT wouldn't be surprised if Lindor broke out again soon, but can he do that over the course of a full season? It would be a big boost to a Mets team looking for consistent power in the lineup outside of Pete Alonso, and would be a big help to holding off the surging Braves in the NL East. But so far, Lindor still hasn't proven the ability to consistently perform since arriving in New York.
"It's not easy with him," BT said. "It's never just an extended ride where it's six weeks of fantastic baseball."
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