When the darkest hour approaches, when the sky seems to be falling when you’ve been backed so far into a corner that you can’t even see the direction from which you came, those who believe will emerge into the spotlight. It’s safe to say that Francisco Lindor is a certified believer. The 30-year-old shortstop continued his reign of terror on his opponents this postseason on Wednesday night, sending Citi Field into a frenzy in the sixth inning.

Lindor stepped into the box in the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, one out, and the Mets down by a run. This wasn’t the first time during this game that the Mets had found themselves on the brink of scoring. They loaded the bases in the first inning with one out and failed to score. They loaded them up again in the second, but couldn’t convert. 

The Mets left 10 runners on base throughout this game and were held scoreless through five despite out-hitting the Phillies 8-to-4 by games-end. 

When the lights shined brightest, however, the Mets’ star-studded shortstop came through. He rocketed a 2-1 fastball from Carlos Estévez deep into the right-center-field gap. The ball wasn’t obviously gone off the bat, but it kept carrying, and Citi Field was sent into pandamonium as it landed 398 feet away in the bullpen. Estévez could only watch in horror as Lindor, ice-cold around the bases, reached home. His 99 MPH heater had been turned around in a hurry, leaving Lindor’s bat at a sizzling 109.5 MPH.

The Mets would go on to win that game by the same score of 4-1, advancing to the NLCS for the first time since 2015, and cementing the first-ever playoff series win celebrated at Citi Field. After the game, Lindor was nothing short of ecstatic. 

“I was just trying to get a good pitch in the zone,” Lindor said of his homer. “I felt like I got a good one early and I missed it, and I was just trying to do whatever the boys did which is get on base.”

The Mets trounced each other on the field, and later in the clubhouse, spraying champagne all over the place as they embraced in celebration. 

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“I think I’ve probably said at least 26 ‘I love yous’ so far,” Lindor stated after the celebrations had calmed.

The 341-million dollar shortstop, who was criticized for his slow start, has fully solidified his MVP-caliber season. If not for Shohei Ohtani’s brilliance on the West Coast, Lindor would be a shoo-in. 

Award or not, Lindor has been something special. He slotted a 93rd percentile batting run value at an elite position on the field, with a 98th percentile ranking in range at shortstop. It’s not so often that you see a player of his offensive caliber paired with a leadership position on the field like shortstop, but Lindor has had it all. 33 home runs, 91 runs batted in, and 29 stolen bases. 

Lindor still had an OPS below .800 in the first half of the season, but his second half cemented him as an MVP candidate. He posted a .306/.368/.574 slash line after the all-star break, good for a strong .942 OPS across 258 plate appearances. 

Lindor sent the Mets to the postseason with his home run in Atlanta. He was instrumental in setting the table to push the Mets past the Brewers during the Wild Card. Now, the 30-year-old superstar has sent the orange and blue to a fight for the National League Pennant. What more could you ask from Steve Cohen’s first big splash acquisition as Mets owner?

“We’ve got to finish the job, and the job wasn’t finished at that moment,” Lindor said. “I’m just blessed to be the guy that drove in runs today.”