David Stearns: Francisco Lindor 'Looks Like' 2024 NL MVP amid Historic Mets Season
September 3, 2024
New York Mets general manager David Stearns vouched for shortstop Francisco Lindor's National League MVP candidacy to reporters on Tuesday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Through 138 games, Lindor is hitting .271 (.835 OPS) with 29 home runs, 81 RBI, 95 runs scored and 25 stolen bases. He also sports a 135 OPS+.
Per Baseball-Reference, his 6.2 wins above replacement (WAR) rank second in the NL behind only Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
It's been an incredible season for Lindor, especially considering that he had just one hit in his first 38 plate appearances. After an 0-for-5 day on May 18 in a 10-9 loss to the Miami Marlins, Lindor was still hitting just .190.
Since then, Lindor has hit .309 (.936 OPS) with 22 homers and 59 RBI in 93 games. He's played an invaluable role in the Mets bouncing back from being 11 games under .500 (24-35 on June 2) to 10 games over .500 (74-64) thanks to a current five-game winning streak.
It may be hard for Lindor to overtake Ohtani in the MVP race, even though the latter player is only a designated hitter this year. Ohtani leads the NL in runs (109), home runs (44), slugging percentage (.616) and OPS (.993). He also has a chance to become the first 50-50 player in MLB history. Right now, he has 46 stolen bases, so a 50-50 season is certainly within reach.
Still, Lindor has been sensational, regardless of whether or not his efforts are recognized by an MVP award. More importantly, the Mets are fighting for the playoffs, sitting just one half-game back of the Atlanta Braves for the third and final wild card.
Lindor and the Mets will look to stay hot on Tuesday when they host the Boston Red Sox for the second matchup of a three-game series.