Lindor in a Class By Himself

Alex Rodriguez did it twice. Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ernie Banks never did it.

With his home run Wednesday, Francisco Lindor became the first shortstop in MLB history to have three seasons of 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. (Bobby Witt Jr. might join him next season.)

And he’s not satisfied.

“It brings a smile to my face because it would be a dream,” he told ESPN, referring to MVP chants at Citi Field, “but I understand we’ve still got a long way to go, and I’ve got to put up way better numbers. If the fans feel that way, it’s fantastic. But I got to continue to climb. I got to continue to help the team win. MVPs are not won in June and July. MVPs are won in August and September.”

The Mets sit 1.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves for the final Wild Card spot with 35 games to play.

“We live in a market where success is the only thing that matters,” Lindor told ESPN. “We are athletes, and we have to get it done. The best thing is how hungry the whole organization is to get better, to continue to find a way of accomplishing the ultimate goal. For me, the ultimate goal is to win and have a sustainable franchise where I’m playing for the playoffs every single year.”

The 30-year-old who leads the National League in fWAR at 6.2 is one of only four 25-25 players so far this season, along with Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani and José Ramírez.

Manager Carlos Mendoza gushed to ESPN over Lindor’s work ethic.

“Here we are in August and I’m trying to tell him, like, dude, you got to back up, back off a little bit,” Mendoza told the network. “He’s like, ‘No, I’ve got to show the way.’ I’m literally trying to do things like, let’s show up a little later to the ballpark just to give the guys a little bit of a break. And he’s the first one out there. He’s the first one on the field. He’s always taking batting practice; he’s taking ground balls. I’m like, I’m thinking about giving you a day and it’s like, ‘Monday is my day off, Mendy. I want Monday.’ Which is a scheduled off day for the team.

“On one hand it’s kind of frustrating. You don’t want the guy to burn himself out. But on the other hand, what a great example and what a great gift that you have not having to urge your leader and your star to be the example setter for everyone else. He just naturally gravitates to that.”

Lindor is also climbing another list. He’s had six seasons of 25 or more home runs while playing at least half his games at shortstop, tying him with Miguel Tejada. The leader is Ripken (8), followed by Rodriguez and Banks with seven. Lindor did it three times in Cleveland and now three more in New York.

“I’m proud to be a New York Met,” Lindor told ESPN. “But my job is not done. I haven’t done what it takes to win. We haven’t won the World Series. So I don’t want to say I’ve done my job to the ultimate end. I feel like not until the day we win, when I have the opportunity to give the trophy to Steve or Alex (Cohen) and say we did it, the job is not done.

“And then since we’re in New York, nobody’s going to care in the next year. So we got to go out and do it again.”

 

The post Lindor in a Class By Himself appeared first on Metsmerized Online.