How Francisco Lindor became the most underappreciated player in baseball

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor is the heartbeat of the New York Mets. Like the constant and steady thump-thump that keeps an organization running, that beat can sometimes be overlooked, even as it's working its hardest to make sure the entire system survives.

The Mets shortstop is enjoying his best career season, putting himself in the middle of the conversation for the National League's MVP award, and leading his surging team in a crowded pennant race. Despite his electric performances on the field, and his fingerprint in helping to change the culture of the Mets, Lindor's collective impact on the game has largely gone unnoticed since he became a mainstay in New York. Four years into his Mets tenure, Lindor has built a compelling case for being the most underappreciated player in Major League Baseball.

"It's easy to quantify what he does on the field. That's really impressive," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. "It's much harder to quantify the impact both by what he says and also how he acts."

Lindor enters Monday with the highest fWAR (7.3) in the NL yet didn't make the All-Star team this summer. In fact, he's been snubbed for the All-Star Game every year since joining the Mets. But don't let that exclusion distract you. Since 2022, Lindor has the second-highest fWAR (19.2) — behind only Aaron Judge (25.3) — among all position players in the majors. He's one of only three players to hit 100 home runs and steal 75 bases since 2021. 

Last week, he clubbed his 30th homer of the year, giving him five such seasons in his career — only two shy of Álex Rodríguez's record for a shortstop.

No Met has ever won the MVP award, but even if Lindor falls short this season to Shohei Ohtani, the star shortstop