Francisco Lindor: Why We Shouldn’t Give Up on Him Yet

A Rough Start to 2026

Imagine your favorite toy breaks right after you get it, and then breaks again just as you fix it. That’s kind of what happened to baseball player Francisco Lindor this year.

• Lindor’s year didn’t go how anyone expected.
• He got hurt at the very beginning of spring training (practice before the real games).
• Because of that, he missed the World Baseball Classic (a big international baseball tournament).
• When the Mets’ 2026 season started, he was slow to play well—which makes sense after being hurt.
• Just as he started hitting better, he hurt his calf (the back of your lower leg) on April 22 against the Twins.
• Fun fact: That same game was Juan Soto’s return from his own calf injury.

A Long Break from the Big Leagues

Soto was out for three weeks. Lindor was out way longer.

• Lindor waited two months between big league games.
• The Mets’ plan to get him healthy again was short:
  1. One game with Double-A Binghamton (a smaller team).
  2. Two games with Triple-A Syracuse (a slightly bigger minor league team).
  3. Then he returned to the main Mets team.
• After coming back, he hit about the same as before the calf injury:
  • 91 wRC+ from Opening Day to April 22.
  • 87 wRC+ from his return to the All-Star break.
• wRC+ explained: It’s a score that shows how good a hitter is compared to the average player. 100 is average. So 91 and 87 mean he was a bit below average, but close.

Important: A few months feels like forever, especially since the Mets are having one of their worst seasons ever. But it’s way too early to forget how great Lindor has been—and too early to give up on him.

Lindor’s Awesome Track Record with the Mets

Let’s look at the past to see why fans loved him before this year.

• In his first five seasons with the Mets:
  • He had 4 of the top 31 seasons by a position player (someone who plays in the field, not just pitcher) in team history by fWAR.
  • fWAR explained: "Wins Above Replacement." It guesses how many extra wins a player gives his team compared to a random fill-in guy.
• His best was 2024: 7.7 fWAR. Only 3 Mets seasons were better:
  • David Wright: 8.4 in 2007
  • John Olerud: 8.1 in 1998
  • Carlos Beltrán: 7.8 in 2006
• Other great years:
  • 2022: 6.4 fWAR (15th best in Mets history)
  • 2025: 6.3 fWAR (17th best)
  • 2023: 5.5 fWAR (31st best)
  • 2021 (his first year): 3.9 fWAR (64th best)
• Only David Wright and José Reyes match Lindor with four top-31 seasons.

One of the Best in All of Baseball

Maybe Mets history isn’t impressive enough? Here’s the bigger picture.

• Since the start of 2021, Lindor is the 6th-best position player in baseball.
• Total fWAR in that time: 30.4.
• He trails only:
  1. Aaron Judge
  2. Shohei Ohtani
  3. Juan Soto
  4. José Ramírez
  5. Bobby Witt Jr.
• If he’d stayed healthy in early 2026 and played like experts guessed (about 4.0–5.0 wins), he’d at least pass Witt and maybe catch Ramírez and Soto.

Important: Lindor is 32 years old. That’s not old for a baseball star. It’s too soon to think his skills fell off a cliff (meaning dropped suddenly and badly).

What the Experts Think Will Happen Next

The Mets’ history and the big league numbers say Lindor is still good. What do the computer guesses say?

• FanGraphs (a baseball stats website) projection systems say the rest of his 2026 should look like his 2025.
  • He’ll hit much better than average.
  • Add about 2 wins (fWAR) in roughly 60 games.
• The Mets have given him rest days since he got back, so 60 games seems fair.
• If he ends with 2.5–3.0 fWAR in 100 games, that’s a 4.0–5.0 win pace over a full year.

And here’s a cool pattern:

• In all 5 Mets seasons, he’s been a great hitter in the second half (after the All-Star break).
• Statcast (a tool that tracks player data) shows his hidden numbers look like recent years, even if we don’t have a lot of games to check yet.

Should the Mets Trade Him?

Probably not.

• Will he ever hit that 7.7 fWAR again? Probably no.
• But there’s no proof he can’t finish with 4+ wins above replacement in the next few years.
• The Mets don’t have obvious better shortstop options in the team or coming soon.
• So hopefully the Mets keep him.

Summary

Francisco Lindor had a weird, injury-filled 2026 start, but he was one of the best players in Mets history and all of baseball from 2021–2025. He’s 32, still projected to be good, and has always hit well in second halves. Don’t panic—he’s not done yet, and the Mets should keep him.

FAQ

Q: What does fWAR mean in simple words?
A: fWAR stands for "Wins Above Replacement." It’s a number that shows how many extra games a team wins because of a player compared to a basic substitute.

Q: Why was Lindor out for two months?
A: He hurt his calf in April. The Mets only had him play 3 minor league games to warm up before bringing him back, so he missed two months of big league play.

Q: Is Lindor too old to be great now?
A: No. He is 32, which is not that old for a star baseball player. Experts still think he will be above average and add good value.

Q: What is wRC+?
A: It’s a score for hitters where 100 is the average player. Lindor had 91 and 87 in parts of 2026, meaning a little below average but close.

Q: Should the Mets trade Lindor?
A: The article says no—there aren’t better shortstop options ready, and Lindor should still be a strong player for a few more years.