A trend that seems to follow him every year of his career, New York Mets superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor is having yet another slow start. He was 0-for-11 in the Mets’ season-opening series loss to the Houston Astros, including an 0-for-4 showing in Saturday’s 2-1 loss.
Mets’ Francisco Lindor is off to another slow start
Slow starts are nothing new for Lindor, and the expectation is that he will overcome it and start playing at his MVP level once again. However, Lindor wants this to be a short spurt of struggles.
“Hopefully this is not a month-long thing,” Lindor said about his slow start, per Newsday’s Tim Healey.
Lindor was last year’s runner-up for the NL MVP award with 33 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .844 OPS, which was his highest since 2019 with the then-Cleveland Indians. The Mets added another MVP candidate this year by bringing in Juan Soto in free agency after he finished third in AL MVP voting last year with the New York Yankees.
The Mets need Lindor to get going soon
The expectation is that Lindor and Soto will form one of the best one-two punches in the sport, with the potential to challenge the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers for the World Series title. However, they need Lindor to get going sooner rather than later, as the NL East is sure to be a highly competitive race between the Mets, Braves, and, Phillies.
When Lindor is on, he is one of the best players in baseball and arguably the best shortstop. If there was any time for him to struggle, the beginning of the season is the best time as it allows him to figure things out in time for when the games become more meaningful.
Despite that, the Mets will be banking on his success, as struggles can be contagious throughout the lineup. New York scored just five total runs in their series loss in Houston.
Lindor and the Mets will hope to turn things around starting Monday when they head to Miami to take on the Marlins.