Francisco Lindor is well on his way to landing in the Hall of Fame. Since debuting in 2015 at 21, he has been one of the best shortstops in all of baseball. His numbers and his accolades speak for themselves. Lindor has accomplished a lot in his 12 big league seasons, and he reached another milestone in the Mets’ final game of the 2026 season against the Nationals on Sunday.

The All-Star shortstop entered the day sitting at 299 career home runs. After going 13 games without hitting one, it came down to game 162. Lindor reached base with a single in the top of the first. An inning later, he came back to the plate. Nationals starter DJ Herz threw a 93 mph fastball at the bottom of the zone. Lindor got a hold of it, and the rest is history.

“I don’t think it’s often you get to see baseball history. Shortstops don’t do that. He’s been a special teammate the entire time I’ve been here; he’s an unbelievable competitor. His career speaks for itself. We all know where it’s ultimately headed. He wants a special year next year, especially,” Mets manager Andy Green said about Lindor.

Lindor has put himself in great company, no matter how you slice it. Among shortstops who spent at least 51% of their playing time at the position, he is just the third to hit at least 300 home runs, joining Cal Ripken Jr. (431) and Miguel Tejada (307). Only two switch hitters in the history of the game have at least 300 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Carlos Beltrán and Lindor. And we all know where the former guy went this year.

The Mets’ 2026 season was underwhelming for a handful of reasons. Maybe things would have been different if Lindor and Juan Soto remained healthy throughout. Both spent extended time on the injured list. Lindor missed 57 games, while Soto missed 51. When things began to go south, at least one of them was injured. As a result, Lindor’s 2026 stats took a significant hit. He slashed .225/.309/.423 (.732 OPS) with 21 home runs, 94 total hits and 49 runs batted in across 469 plate appearances.

Between Lindor, Soto, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and potentially Bo Bichette (if he opts in), the Mets can potentially field a very strong lineup in 2027. If the correct additions are made, a return to the playoffs after two disappointing seasons could be on the cards. But one thing is for sure. Lindor has been a fantastic Met. He put the organization on his back during their remarkable run in 2024. Given all he has done for New York, he deserves a chance to end this World Series drought. No doubt about it.