It Might Be Time To Start Worrying About Francisco Lindor

When the New York Mets traded for, and signed, Francisco Lindor this past offseason, it was cause for celebration for Mets fans everywhere. Steve Cohen was the new owner who was willing to put a whole bunch of money into the product on the field. And Lindor was the centerpiece the Mets desperately needed to compete for championships for many years to come.

As we near two months into Lindor’s Mets career, it’s hard to envision that things could be going much worse.

After 40 games, Lindor is slashing an abysmal .189/.295/.277.

Yeah, those numbers are something you would find from a utility bench player with no power, not the guy who just signed a massive $341 million extension right before Opening Day.

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While we’d probably give a player of Lindor’s caliber the benefit of the doubt, context is important here. During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Lindor had the worst year of his career. He still managed to be productive, batting .258 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs over the 60-game sprint. But it just wasn’t what we’ve been accustomed to from the star shortstop.

It has been a difficult year, though, and many star players struggled mightily in 2020. But while players around the MLB are starting to regain their form, Lindor is sputtering. And it couldn’t be coming at a worse time.

The Mets are dealing with a plethora of injuries to their Opening Day roster, and they might need Lindor to start carrying the load, or they could fall down the standings in the NL East. After losing seven of their last 10 games, the Mets currently sit at 21-20, one game ahead of the Braves and Marlins in the jam-packed division.

Despite Lindor’s struggles, Mets manager Luis Rojas is confident that his big offseason prize will figure it out at the plate.

“I don’t see him trying to overdo things,” Rojas said to The New York Post following Lindor’s 0-4 performance on Sunday. “He’s doing the same thing. He’s getting pitched the same. … He’s poised in the dugout, in the clubhouse. It’s the same poise. This guy’s working hard.”

For the past 10 years, the Mets have flirted with the idea of being a World Series contender, and something always seems to go wrong. If Lindor can’t turn it around, fans will completely lose all patience…they’ve seen this movie time and time again.

If the New York Mets want any shot to reach their expectations in 2021, they’ll need Francisco Lindor to play like Francisco Lindor.

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