Player Data: Age: 28 (11/14/1993), B/T: S/R
Primary Stats: 161 G, 706 PA, 630 AB, .270/.339/.449/.788, 170 H, 26 HR, 107 RBI, 5 3B, 16 SB
Advanced Stats: 127 wRC+, 18.8% K%, 8.4% BB% .301 BABIP, .342 xwOBA, 5.4 fWAR, 6.8 bWAR
2022 Salary: $34.1 million
Grade: A+
2022 Review
Francisco Lindor did not have the start to his Mets career that many envisioned. His 2021 season included a career-worst start, the first major injury of his career and a thumbs-down scandal. The Mets needed their superstar shortstop to return to form in 2022, and he did not disappoint.
After finishing the 2021 season with a strong second half, Lindor came out of the gate hot in 2022. In April, he hit .282/.367/.482 with four home runs as the Mets started the season 15-7.
Lindor went into a mini-slump to start May, but the Puerto Rican native bounced back with a huge finish to the month, earning him his first Player of the Week Award since 2018. From May 22-28, he hit .348/.407/.870 and drove in at least one run in all six games, including a six RBI game on May 24 in San Francisco. His RBI streak would reach 10 games, joining Mike Piazza as the only Mets to accomplish the feat.
Lindor was playing his best baseball since coming to New York, but things took a turn when the Mets went to Los Angeles for a series with the Dodgers. Lindor fractured his right middle finger when he accidentally closed his hotel room doors on his hand. After missing over a month for the first time in his career in 2021, Lindor had no intentions of missing time again. He was able to return to the lineup after just one game, but his bat suffered.
In June, Lindor would hit just .202/.255/.302 over 24 games. His overall numbers on the year took a big hit while he played through the injury which led to him going from a candidate to start the All-Star Game to not making the team at all.
Just as quickly as his season started to go downhill, Lindor turned it right back around when the calendar flipped to July. In 25 games, the Mets’ shortstop hit .320/.393/.540 with five homers as the Mets went 17-8 for the month.
For the second consecutive season, Lindor put together a strong second half of the season. After his huge July, he hit .286/.341/.450 with nine home runs over the season’s final 61 games, playing in every game after returning from fracturing his finger. In August, he had a 13-game run-scoring streak, tying David Wright for the longest streak in Mets’ history. His incredible second half helped the Mets finish with a 101-61 record, their second-best regular season behind just the 1986 team.
Overall, Lindor hit .270/.339/.449 with 26 home runs, 107 RBI, 98 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. He was a near-perfect three-hitter for this Mets lineup. He came up clutch as a run-producer behind Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte, and he also was able to reach base at a high clip in front of Pete Alonso. He became just the 12th player ever to have an RBI streak of 10 games and a run-scoring streak of 10 games in the same season and was the first to do so since 2005.
Along with his strong season with the bat, Lindor provided his usual brilliance at shortstop. He finished the season with 13 OAA, tied for second-best amongst MLB shortstops. Despite surprisingly not getting nominated for a Gold Glove Award, Lindor was easily one of the league’s best defenders at the position.
Lindor’s all-around excellence made him one of the best players in the National League in 2022. His 6.8 fWAR was fifth in the National League, trailing just Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Freddie Freeman. Lindor won’t be taking home the NL MVP Award this season, but his stellar year should earn him some down-ballot votes.
Since signing his record-breaking extension with the Mets, there have been questions if Lindor can live up to it. That question should be put to rest after this season. Since the only knock on his season is he should be more careful with hotel doors, Lindor is more than deserving of his big salary and earns an A+ for 2022.
2023 Outlook
While the Mets’ roster could potentially look very different next year, Lindor will still be expected to be a key contributor to the offense. Lindor improved significantly from his 2021 season, and while he was terrific in 2022, there is plenty of reason to believe he can build on this season to reach the numbers he was putting up in Cleveland.
On top of his potential at the plate, we may potentially see Lindor’s defense shine more than usual in 2023. With the new rules on shifting, Lindor’s range and athleticism will be on full display next season. Next season could be the year Lindor’s excellence at shortstop is rewarded with his third career Gold Glove Award.
Lindor has proven that he can make the necessary adjustments to thrive in New York. If he stays healthy and on the field, which he has done nearly every year of his career, we could see the best version of Francisco Lindor in 2023.
