Francisco Lindor has been good for the New York Mets, but something about him being moved into the leadoff spot last season has pushed his offensive game to the next level.
On Tuesday night, in the Mets’ 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field, Lindor went 2-for-5 with an RBI double. The type of game Mets fans have come to expect from Lindor, and it came in his 162nd game in the leadoff spot since manager Carlos Mendoza decided to make the switch last May permanently.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In 162 games in the leadoff spot for the Mets since the change, Lindor has been good and arguably the best position player in the National League. In that 162-game span:
- .295/.365/.523, 195 hits, 41 doubles, 36 home runs, 101 RBIs. 114 runs, 33 stolen bases
In 9.1 fWAR during that span, he is tied with Shohei Ohtani for best in the National League among position players and third overall in MLB behind Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. In that span, Lindor was one of five players – joining Corbin Carroll, José Ramirez, Witt, and Ohtani- to have at least 30 stolen bases and 30 home runs.
Mendoza decided that the Mets’ struggling 2024 offense needed a change. “I was sitting next to Lindor after a tough loss, and I was like, ‘How do you feel about leading off?’ Mendoza said.
Lindor was excited for the opportunity because he had hit leadoff early in his major league career with Cleveland. Lindor started 380 games in the leadoff spot over the first six seasons with the Cleveland Guardians, with 294 of those starts coming in 2018 and 2019.
Lindor’s success from the leadoff spot has been a driver for the Mets as a team. When Lindor hit leadoff on May 18, 2024, the team was 20-24, but they would go 79-59 to finish out the 2024 season, and they’re 34-21 this season.
“Hitting is contagious, so by me setting the tone, hopefully everybody else can pass it along and end up on top,” Lindor said.
