Francisco Lindor is the perfect leader for the 2024 Mets

Also, could the star shortstop become the first Mets captain since David Wright?

Andrew Steele

Mar 05, 2024

Brett Baty appeared on the latest episode of Meet At The Apple
The Queens Crew will be the first ever official dance team in franchise history
RHP Phil Bickford has upped his stock value thanks to his new changeup (New York Post)
OF Jett Williams tops MLB’s new list of Top 30 Mets prospects (MLB Pipeline)

Injury Updates 🏥

Jeff McNeil (biceps soreness) hasn’’t hit for several days but continues to participate in fielding drills

Today’s Game 🗓️

Match-up: Mets (4-5) vs. Yankees (4-4)

Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, Florida

Starters: LHP Tanner Tully (spring debut) vs. RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 1.80 ERA)

When: 1:10 PM EST

Where To Watch: ESPN

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Francisco Lindor is the leader and captain this Mets team deserves ✍️

Maybe it is just me, but during spring training games I find myself on the lookout for interesting things beneath the surface.

After all, this time of year can get a little monotonous once the initial excitement of baseball being back wears off. We’re all just waiting for Opening Day now.

Anyway, one development has really caught my eye over the past few games in particular.

Go back and look and you will notice that whenever SNY cuts to new manager Carlos Mendoza in the dugout, he’s more often than not stood right next to Francisco Lindor.

And, during those quick shots, Lindor can be seen listening intently to his new manager, and chipping in with his own pearls of wisdom when it’s convenient. Even on an off day, Lindor was right there, side-by-side with Mendoza, soaking it all in and looking every inch the highly-respected figurehead he’s become.

It was the clearest sign yet that Lindor has morphed into a real leader for the Mets, and his experience, maturity and leadership will all be valuable tools to both Mendoza and the team throughout 2024 and beyond.

Mendoza is entering uncharted waters given that this is his first time dining at the top table, and he will need to lean on veterans like Lindor at regular intervals in his debut season as Mets manager. The fact that Lindor has already bought into what Mendoza is selling, and has been visibly invested from day one, can’t be understated in its importance.

Lindor’s leadership has been felt throughout spring training thus far, and it is a role the four-time All-Star has embraced for a while now. He emerged as the de facto leader on this team during Buck Showalter’s first year, before taking it a step further throughout a difficult 2023 season. No matter his own personal performances, Lindor was always first to speak to the media and take responsibility for the team’s shortcomings. When times got tough, it was always Lindor who was first up to navigate even the most harshest of storms.

And, in a year where it is very feasible to suggest that there will be more downs than ups again, Lindor’s ability to lead by example and always do the right thing, both on and off the field, will be critical.

To lead is to serve and it has become crystal clear that Lindor is now one of the most well-respected leaders on this team. He is the guy everyone else looks up to and follows into the heat of battle. He has already become an important confidant for Mendoza.

So, with a new front office and manager in place, is it time for the franchise to anoint its next captain? That role has been vacant since David Wright retired in 2018, and there have only been four captains in franchise history (Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and John Franco were the others). It is not known whether the organization even has an appetite to address that particular issue just yet.

But, if they did, Lindor would be the perfect and obvious choice. For starters, he signed a 10-year extension a couple of years ago, so is sticking around in Queens for a while. He plays the game the right way, is willing to play hurt - as proved in 2023 when he became the fourth player in franchise history to join the 30-30 club, despite dealing with a bone spur in his right elbow - and he has taken an active role in mentoring a slew of the team’s prospects this spring.

Lindor is also a baseball savant, a real devoted student of the game and he’s embraced New York as his home. He throws himself into the community, he relishes the pressure that comes with playing in the biggest sports market on the planet - in both good times and bad - and everything he does, he does with that huge, infectious smile.

Oh, and it helps too that the two-time Gold Glove and three-time Silver Slugger winner is operating at the peak of his powers on the diamond, as demonstrated by the fact he finished ninth in MVP voting in 2023 after hitting 31 homers and 33 doubles with 98 RBIs.

Draw up a checklist for the attributes and intangibles you would want in a captain, and Lindor ticks every single box.

However, even if the official captaincy isn’t on the horizon for Lindor, he will still be exactly the type of leader the Mets - and Mendoza - deserve and need in 2024 and beyond.

Around the League 🚩

Former Met Zack Wheeler signed a three-year, $126 million extension with the Phillies. It marks the highest annual salary for any contract extension ever (ESPN)
Josh Donaldson announced his retirement from baseball. The 2015 AL MVP was a three-time All-Star across 13 seasons in the major leagues. He won two silver slugger awards and finished with a .261/.358/.489 slash line to go along with 279 home runs and 816 RBIs. The third baseman represented the Athletics, Blue Jays, Guardians, Braves, Twins, Yankees and Brewers (MLB.com)
Four new teams have reached out to Scott Boras to kick the tires on free agent pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery (USA TODAY)
Shohei Ohtani is set for his first reunion with the Angels on Tuesday. The two-way phenom owns an absurd .714/.778/.1.429 through three spring training games, in which he has reached base in seven consecutive plate appearances
New Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray left Monday’s game against the Nationals with right hamstring tightness. He’ll undergo an MRI (The Athletic)
OF Cedric Mullins left Baltimore’s game against the Twins with hamstring discomfort. Per manager Brandon Hyde, it was a “precautionary removal” (The Baltimore Banner)
The Dodgers acquired INF Andre Lipcius from the Tigers for cash considerations. LHP Clayton Kershaw was transferred to the 60-day injured list