Francisco Lindor continues to amaze.
The hated Philadelphia Phillies were in town on Monday night to start a three-game series at Citi Field. The Phillies and their fans have circled this game since the offseason after the Mets ended the hopes of a World Series parade on Broad Street last year. The Phillies bowed down to their Northeast rival in four National League Division Series games.
Francisco Lindor’s grand slam off Phillies reliever Carlos Estevez in Game 4 highlighted the series, and there’s no doubt Phillies fans will never forget that moment. Those fans love to have long memories like that. It’s what makes them so unique. It’s so Philadelphia.
Lindor did it again by hitting two home runs in the Mets’ 5-4 victory over the Phillies at Citi Field. Those home runs were why the home team won.
One has to think that the MVP runner-up has to be right up there as a player that the Philadelphians love to hate. How they feel about him is how Mets fans feel about Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.
That is what you get from Lindor: in a big series, he always comes through. No one should be surprised by what he did to set the tone in this series last night. He’s so good that we take it for granted. How else can there be angst about his 0-for-12 slump to start the season? It’s ridiculous that he was a talking point to start the season. He did okay in April by slashing .325/.379/.571 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 16 runs, and four doubles after that slump.
With Lindor’s track record as a Met, no one should be questioning him anymore. He’s earned the benefit of the doubt when he starts slow. He’s one guy who knows how to play in New York, which is hard to do.
Guys like Lindor should be appreciated. The Mets haven’t had a player of his ilk in such a long time when it comes to shining in big moments.
It took a while for Mets fans to warm up to Mr. Smile. He won them over last season after hitting 33 home runs and driving in 91 runs with a slash line of .344/.500/.844. He created big moments for the Mets. Who can ever forget him hitting a ninth-inning two-run home run to beat the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the doubleheader that helped the Mets clinch a wild-card spot after Mets closer Edwin Diaz blew a 6-3 lead?
It looks like he is getting started to duplicate another masterpiece season. He hit his second leadoff home run in a row to start the series against the Phillies, and he hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to give the Mets a much-needed 5-1 lead.
It’s much-needed since the Phillies scored four runs in the ninth, featuring Bryson Stott hitting a three-run home run off Diaz to make it a 5-4 game.
So yes, you can say Lindor accomplished another much-needed moment twice in that game. The Mets wouldn’t have won this game without his night.
The Mets’ shortstop has been Mets owner Steve Cohen’s best investment since acquiring him in a trade with Cleveland in 2021. The trade was made with the idea of signing him to a 10-year, $341 million extension.
One has to think Lindor will likely be in the Baseball Hall of Fame as a New York Met when all is said and done. He accomplished his 1,500th hit on April 7 on a three-hit night against the Miami Marlins. The 31-year-old shortstop should be good enough to be in a position to get 3,000 hits one day, and it would be fitting that he did that as a New York Met.
It won’t be long until we talk about him being one of the best players ever to wear a Mets uniform. He knows what he is doing out there. The Mets and their fans expect him to do great things at the plate. When the Mets star is at the plate, there seems to be that buzz that is reminiscent of when Mike Piazza would enter the plate. The electricity at Mets home games would light up with fans bringing in the noise. That’s the cache Lindor brings that Piazza brought.
Lindor is a leader. He will probably be the captain on July 19, when David Wright’s jersey number is retired, followed by his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame. It should be the day Wright hands the captain’s torch to the Mets’ shortstop.
It will be well-deserved, and it will be a special day one day when the Mets eventually retire Lindor’s number and have one of their best players ever in the team’s Hall of Fame.
Lindor has plenty of nice years left in his prime. The Mets seem determined not to waste it by fielding great teams around him.
It would be wise of Mets fans never to take him for granted, because there may not be a player of his caliber to play for their team in a long time.
