MLB insider argues Mets' Francisco Lindor is underrated

Critics and also pockets of New York Mets fans view star shortstop Francisco Lindor as " overrated " for reasons related to the 10-year, $341M contract extension he signed shortly before the start of the 2021 season.

MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently argued that Lindor is actually underrated considering that the 30-year-old entered Monday leading the National League with a 5.9 FanGraphs wins above replacement value.

"L indor is on quite a run, " Heyman explained, " and since that May 18 date when manager Carlos Mendoza moved him into the leadoff spot, Lindor leads the NL not only in fWAR but hits, too, and he’s second in runs, third in doubles, fourth in steals and average, sixth in on-base percentage and OPS and eighth in RBI. "

Lindor joined the Mets via a January 2021 trade from the franchise now known as the Cleveland Guardians and has endured numerous ups and downs throughout his New York tenure. He's commonly heard boos amid batting slumps, had to apologize in the summer of 2021 for how he handled such reactions from fans during games and may or may not have been part of alleged clubhouse issues that negatively impacted the team last season.

More recently, though, Lindor has emerged as the Mets' most valuable player both for his on-the-field contributions and for his off-the-field leadership that helped guide what was once a 22-33 team back into the playoff hunt. As both Heyman and Tim Britton of The Athletic pointed out, teammates such as first baseman Pete Alonso have routinely let Lindor down this year by failing to carry the Mets whenever the four-time All-Star has experienced a rough run of form.

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook predictably listed Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani as the overwhelming betting favorite at -3000 odds to claim the NL MVP Award for this season. That's understandable considering Ohtani is the top offensive weapon on a club that may end September with the best record in the NL. To compare, the 64-60 Mets went into Monday's MLB action trailing the Atlanta Braves by two games in the battle for the NL's final wild-card playoff berth.

DraftKings had Lindor as a +3500 betting underdog regarding the MVP Award. Such forecasts indicate he likely has no chance to earn the honor, but the overall numbers show just how much he's meant to a Mets side that began June as a postseason afterthought.