Sept. 7: Lindor has a team-best batting average of .273 and leads the Mets in runs batted in (84). He’s also hit 30 home runs. In MLB, Lindor ranks 12th in home runs and 22nd in RBI. Lindor has hit safely in 16 games in a row. In his last outings he is hitting .333 with four doubles, three home runs, two walks and six RBI.

Lindor has a team-best 79 runs batted in (he’s hit 28 home runs). In baseball, Lindor ranks 13th in home runs and 25th in RBI. Lindor enters this matchup on an 11-game hitting streak. During his last games he is hitting .326 with four doubles, four home runs, three walks and seven RBI.

Lindor has a hit in 69.1% of his 136 games this season, with more than one hit in 33.8% of those contests (46).

He has gone yard in 17.6% of his games this season (136 contests), going deep in 4.5% of his trips to the plate.

Lindor has scored at least a run 74 times this season in 136 tries (54.4%), including scoring multiple runs in 13.2% of games (18 times).

In 33.8% of his 136 games this season, he has driven in a run (46 times). He’s also put up 21 games with multiple RBI in 2024 (15.4%) and produced three or more of his team’s runs in six contests.

Lindor has been set down on strikes at least once in 58.1% of his games this season (79 of 136), with two or more strikeouts in 25 of them (18.4%).024 In the ranks of Major League Baseball, there are players who -- quite literally -- wear the same T-shirt every day. There are players whose style might change imperceptibly from week to week, but never all that far from center.

Growing up, Lindor played a "3-2 game" with his dad. Miguel pitched to him while both pretended the count was full. Whatever you do, Francisco was told, don't strike out. Strikeouts meant running sprints.

Francisco learned baseball while still learning to walk. When he was 3 years old, he tagged along with his father while he coached his older brother's 15-year-olds team in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Francisco was the team's bat boy and spent his afternoons retrieving balls while waiting for his turn to take batting practice.

At home, the two would go out in the street and Miguel would hit his son grounders and teach him to catch by tossing a ball against his chest.

"He loved to practice all the time," said Miguel, a former semi-pro player in Puerto Rico. "He was very mature for his young age because he knew how to approach the game. He enjoyed it and respected it and showed dedication."

Lindor was pushed on the field by his older brother, Miguel, and an older cousin, Christian. He has two sisters—one with multiple sclerosis. His father, who used to play semi-pro baseball, deals with post-traumatic stress. His mom worked two jobs to help pay for his schooling.

¿Qué harías?  Those were the words that Francisco heard often while growing up in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

What would you do?  Whether he was being coached up by his father or, just as likely, following around his brother at Villa Blanca ballfield, Lindor was always expected to respond.

"The most important thing they taught me was instincts," Lindor said. "My dad would always play this game with me when I was younger and we were sitting down watching a game, or we could be in the car and he would tell me about a play and he'd say, 'What would you do?' And I'd just tell him."

Genius bows to no boundaries. Van Gogh painted Starry Night while in a sanitarium. Lindor learned how to field grounders freelancing from the bottom of a hill. His father, Miguel, would stand halfway up the small incline next to their home in Gurabo, P.R., with a bat and some yellow rubber balls. Francisco and his brother, also Miguel, and cousin, Christian Figueroa, both nine years older, waited at the bottom. Behind them was a thicket of bushes. Letting a ground ball get by meant having to wade into the thicket to find it.

The hill and the bounciness of the rubber balls assured tricky hops. Miguel hit grounders to their left and right more than he hit straight at them. He taught them to attack the ball, to catch it with one hand, and to improvise.

“Make things happen,” Lindor says. “You go get the ball. You keep the ball in front of you. You do whatever you can. And fight. Fight for it. This hand?”

Lindor raises his throwing hand. “If it was a bad hop, you either get your face out of the way or you catch it with your bare hand. I’ve been using that my whole life. Here in the United States, it’s two hands. My dad always said one hand.”

Asked whether his father was strict, Lindor nods and says, “Still is. My dad thinks I’m playing Little League.”

He hears from Miguel after every game via text.

“A paragraph,” Francisco says. “‘You’re doing this, you’re swinging up, you’re not catching the ball the right way . . . ’ I’m like, Pops . . . ” (Tom Verducci - Sports Illustrated - April 2021)

Former Indians All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar—also a native of Puerto Rico—was one of Lindor's favorite players growing up. Lindor wore No. 12 in honor of Alomar.

FAMILY MOVES TO FLORIDA

He moved to the United States as a 12-year-old who couldn't speak English. He attended the Montverde Academy, an international boarding school in Orlando, Florida.

"I have the greatest family in the world,” Lindor said. “It was a huge decision to leave Puerto Rico and move to Florida, but it’s worked out, thank the Lord.”

At Montverde, Francisco gained command of the English language and a comfort level with the U.S. culture.

Francisco's father, Miguel, endures complications from post-traumatic stress disorder. And Francisco's sister, Jezabel, who is three years younger than him, suffers from multiple sclerosis, a disease that has left her hooked to tubes, and unable to walk or talk.

Miguel and his second wife, Mari Rivera, researched schools in the U.S. known for developing baseball players. One of Francisco's coaches in Puerto Rico told the couple about Montverde Academy, an international boarding school in central Florida hosting students from 42 different countries.

But the family was unable to pay the school's tuition, so Francisco started at Montverde as a day student. Miguel, who used to work as a publicist at the San Juan Mayoral Office, was forced into retirement when Francisco was a baby after a panic attack caused by stress from his first wife and the death of his mother.

So Miguel stayed home with Jezabel and the couple's other daughter, Angela. And his step-mom got a job as a supervisor for two of Disney's Vacation Clubs, often working 14 hours a day.

Roberto Rodriguez, then Montverde's junior varsity coach, learned about the family's situation and helped Lindor apply for financial aid, which allowed him to live at the school for free.

"He was just so talented," Rodriguez said. "He had 'MLB' stamped on his forehead. I told him that all the time. 

When Miguel and Rivera went to their new apartment, Rodriguez helped move what little they had in a U-Haul and then donated an old washer and dryer to the family. They received further help from a local church, which helped the family find furniture. And Lindor was still just 13. (Tyler Jett-Baseball America-8/13/10)

One weekend, Lindor told his coach he wanted to become a switch-hitter. Three months after Rodriguez began teaching him to bat lefty, Lindor tried hitting from both sides for the first time at a tournament in Leesburg, Fla. He sailed five home runs over the 300-foot fence that weekend—three from the right side and two from the left.

In 2011, Francisco's senior year at Montverde, Lindor hit .528 (28-for-53) with six home runs, 13 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 31 runs scored.

Lindor is passionate about the game. He loves it very much and you can see that as soon as you watch him. He's a baseball rat whose passion is working on his game.

Francisco raises the bar for work ethic and routines both on and off the field. He makes an impact on everyone in the organization.

In 2010, he was captain of USA Baseball's 16-under club that took the gold medal vs. Cuba in the World Youth Championship in Taiwan. He hit .500 in 11 games and started laying the groundwork to become a future first-round draft pick.

Lindor further whetted scouts' appetites the following summer on the showcase circuit, which was highlighted by a surprise victory in the home run derby at the Aflac All-American Game at Petco Park.

In 2011, his senior year of high school, Francisco committed to play at Florida State University. But in June he got drafted by the Indians (see Transactions below).

In the springs of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, Baseball America rated Lindor as the #1 prospect in the Indians' farm system—four consecutive years as the top prospect.

Francisco has earned rave reviews from coaches and scouts for his work ethic, maturity and dedication. He also has excellent baseball instincts, an impressive feel for the game, and plays confidently.

Lindor is mature both on and off the field. He is a quiet team leader who shows the way with his actions and his energy. There is confidence in Francisco, but no arrogance. He welcomes all coaching. He doesn’t understand something, you tell him once and he gets it.

"Why wouldn’t I want to be coached? I’m not the best player, but I’m working to be one of the best players ever,” Lindor said. “You have to understand you’re not perfect. When somebody tells you something, it’s because they are trying to make you a better baseball player. When my coaches tell me what I’m doing wrong, it’s my job to make it right.”

In the 2011 season, Lindor impressed Class A Lake County manager Dave Wallace. "The first day he showed up in (short season) Mahoning Valley last year after he signed, he's helping load laundry on and off the bus and carrying equipment bags," he said. "I'm like, 'Wait a minute, this is rare for a guy just drafted and signed in the first round.' Many of those guys have a sense of entitlement, that 'I'm different than you' mentality. But not Francisco, he's just one of the guys."

Francisco never waivers from his preparation. He has impressive makeup. He has leadership traits and a high baseball IQ.

"The guy every night gets two or three hits, makes an exceptional play," Atkins said. "The leadership, his commitment, his professionalism, we haven't experienced anything like that from a high school player."

"There's no secrets. He outworks people. The talent is clearly there, and then he outworks them on top of it," Atkins said. "When you do that, you end up being the best player in the league, and he's done that. He's doing that right now. He's made himself into one of the best prospects in baseball, if not the best."

Written on Francisco"s glove is "Lindor B.C." ("Be Consistent"), showing his attitude and approach to the game.  It is part of what evaluators from the Indians and elsewhere love about him. The kid's a competitor who believes in himself, and his confidence rubs off on those around him. Lindor's already being hailed as a born leader.

In 2014, Lindor was named to the roster in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on for the third time in his career. 

June 14, 2015: The jersey that will hang inside Lindor's locker will have a familiar number stitched in the back. When the young shortstop puts on his first Major League uniform, the digits on display will project the lofty expectations.

In parts of five seasons in the Minor Leagues, Lindor has hit .278 with 19 triples, 21 homers, 73 doubles, 89 stolen bases, 162 RBIs, 185 walks, and 253 runs scored in 414 games. (J. Bastin - MLB.com - June 13, 2015)

"If you look at his overall numbers, they're not indicative of the at-bats he's had," Van Burkleo said. "He's had a lot of hard luck. But he hasn't let it affect him or get him trying to do more. He's just stayed the course, and he knows it won't keep happening if he keeps maintaining the swing he's got and the approach he's got."

To help with that, Francona has kept Lindor in the lineup's second spot. "That shows me he believes in me," Lindor said. "It helps with my confidence." (Bastian - mlb.com - 7/20/15)

In 2015, Lindor tweeted that putting “some cologne on” was part of his pregame ritual.

Lindor says his favorite place to play is Chicago, his favorite superhero is Batman (solid choice), Mike Aviles is his biggest role model on the Tribe, and pizza is his favorite pregame meal.

2015 rookie season: Lindor became the first Indians rookie to have a season with at least 10 homers, 10 steals, 20 doubles, 100 hits, and a .300 average since 1929 (Earl Averill).

Each time one of the yellow rubber balls came skipping down the hill, Lindor knew what was at stake. If he missed, the ball would keep on skipping through the grass and dirt and into the bushes that were a long jog behind him.

Lindor's father, Miguel, would position himself halfway up the hill that ran alongside their home in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, just east of Caguas. Lindor would be at the bottom. One by one, the rubber balls would shoot off his Dad's bat, and Francisco had to do whatever he could to stop them from making the 200-yard journey to the thicket.

"They'd skip pretty fast," Lindor said with a smile. "I just had to attack the ball and get that good hop. Once it went up, I'd charge the ball and try to get it before it bounces."

These days, the flat, pristine infields around the Major Leagues seem easy.  Lindor is not that 6-year-old kid at the bottom of the hill anymore. He is one of baseball's most promising young talents and all of Cleveland is hoping he can help lead the Indians back to the postseason. The shortstop turned in one of the most memorable rookie seasons in the franchise's history in 2015.

During a 2016 Spring Training morning workout at the Indians' spring complex, Lindor scooped up a sharply hit ground ball at shortstop, and then used his glove to flip it between his legs to second baseman Jason Kipnis. On another chopper up the middle, Lindor snared the baseball with his bare hand while running and spiked it into the dirt, and into the hands of his double-play partner.  

While Miguel Lindor helped hone his son's first step and fundamentals, he also encouraged him to try trick plays during their ground-ball sessions. It helped to have his older brother, Miguel, and cousin, Christian, taking grounders with him when he was young. The elder Lindor would throw some verbal jabs their way, convincing them to show off a little more.  Francisco did what he could to not only keep up, but to one-up.

"I was always taught that making plays was pretty cool," Lindor said. "My dad would make me catch a lot of ground balls, and he always made it fun. It was never right at me. It was to the side. He let me have fun with it. He'd let me do tricks. He'd hit me a ground ball and he'd be like, 'All right, try to do something nice.'"  

"I don't think you proclaim somebody, after three months in the big leagues, a Hall of Famer," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "But, I don't want to talk him down. We love him. I mean, shoot, the kid's really good. If you're watching the game, you see it. There's nothing he can't do."  Lindor has come a long way from that hill in Gurabo.  (Bastian - MLB.com - 3/2/16)

In April 2016, when the Indians were in St. Petersburg, Francisco invited the Monteverde Academy baseball team to Tropicana Field to take in batting practice and stay for one of the Tribe's games against the Rays.

Lindor attended Monteverde, located outside of Orlando, Florida. He wanted to be an example for the players at his old high school. The young shortstop does not want to stop there, either. He is now going to work with Major League Baseball and the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program to visit and work with underprivileged youth in Cleveland and on the road.

"Coming up in high school, no one went back to my high school, baseball-wise, to inspire us," Lindor said on Wednesday. "Now that I'm in this position, I feel I can help the kids. Being around the kids, trying to help them, talking to them, giving back, I'm big on that. A lot of people helped me throughout my career and they're still helping me right now. Why not give back?"  

Lindor is also going to serve as the player ambassador for the "Lindor Smile Squad," which will host a Miracle League athlete at each Indians home game throughout the season, beginning May 16. The program is aimed at providing unique baseball experiences for children and adult athletes with disabilities.

Lindor is also scheduled to appear on MLB Network's new weekly show, "Play Ball."  The show, which is hosted by Harold Reynolds and features other analysts, includes one-on-one baseball demonstrations and conversations with personalities from around baseball. "Growing up, a lot of people helped me," Lindor said. "I was blessed that people helped me. I'm a big believer that God always put someone in front of me to guide me to the next door. He's doing it for me. A lot of people are doing it for me, and I want to do it, too."  (Bastian - MLB.com - 4/20/16)

In 2016, Lindor made the All-Star Game for the first time.

Jan 21, 2017: Francisco arrived with a big smile. Big surprise, right? To those who know the dynamic Indians shortstop, they would expect nothing less. Simply stated, Lindor cares. Thus, the Francisco Lindor Play Ball Event.

In 2016, Lindor began talking to the people from Major League Baseball who stage Play Ball events and expressed an interest in hosting an event at Montverde Academy, where he attended high school after arriving to the United States from Puerto Rico. That came to fruition under clear skies on the Francisco M. Lindor Field.

"This is a thrill," Lindor said. "I was fortunate to have a lot of people in my corner that helped me growing up. So I wanted to give back and help kids get some of the same help I got along the way." 

Lindor is the first Major Leaguer to host a Play Ball event, which made this even more special according to Jess Dunn, the coordinator of youth programs for MLB. She conducts approximately 30 such events per year.

"To have such a young superstar reach out is huge for us," Dunn said. "Hopefully, it will be a springboard for other Major Leaguers to follow suit. He's great with kids and he's been active with RBI. The idea is to connect with the kids and help them to fall in love with the game." (B Chastain - MLB.com - Jan 22, 2017)

There is a red, white, and blue glove that rests at the top of Francisco's locker. It is his gamer, the one that has helped the young shortstop become one of baseball's budding superstars. Amid his growing fame, the glove also helps Lindor stay grounded. Just to the right of the pocket—next to the "BC," which stands for Be Consistent—is a small red ribbon stitched into the white leather. That is Lindor's daily reminder that, no matter how great things have been going for him, there are people dealing with real struggles. Specifically, the ribbon is a constant reminder of what his sister went through with cancer.

"She's my big sister," Lindor said. "I love her."

Family is immensely important to Lindor. Ask Lindor about his defense, and he will weave tales of how his father hit him grounders from atop a small hill near their home in Puerto Rico when he was a kid. Ask about his competitiveness, and Lindor will talk about how he always pushed to keep up with his older brother and cousin. Lindor will rave about his mom's cooking, and flash that signature smile when talking about his nieces and nephew. Roughly two weeks before the All-Star break last season,

Lindor found out that his older sister, Legna, was diagnosed with cervical cancer. His sister—a mom to two daughters and a son—lives in Florida with Lindor's mother. As Lindor was closing in on his first career All-Star appearance, his family was suddenly dealt a daunting blow. The next day, Lindor began to recite the same prayer he says before each game.

"Bless those people who are going through tough times. Let them understand that nothing happens for no reason. Everything has a purpose and help them deal with it." This time, though, Lindor stopped in the middle of his prayer.

"Throughout the whole day I was wondering, 'Why? Why is this happening to her?'" Lindor said. "And then the next day, as I was praying, I stopped in the middle. It was like, I always ask for this, but now that it's happening to me, I can't comprehend it. I felt like a hypocrite."

The prayer now applied to him and his family. Lindor had to keep his own words in mind—that everything has a purpose. Over the next three months, he kept checking in on his sister, while balancing the daily grind of a baseball season. And, this was not just any season for Cleveland. The Indians were on their way to a deep post-season run. When Lindor would call Legna, he would not discuss her treatment. He just wanted to talk, to be her little brother.

"I just wanted to be there for her. That's what I did," Lindor said. "I just tried to make sure that I was there for her and for my nieces and nephew. I would stay in touch. Just ask her how she's doing. Nothing crazy. Just normal conversation. I didn't want to have her thinking about it too much, and she didn't want me thinking about it too much."

While Cleveland fought its way through the playoffs—defeating Boston and Toronto to reach the World Series—Lindor's family had its own battle going on behind the scenes. Lindor found himself thrust onto the national stage, but also found a way to keep everything else that was going on away from the spotlight. Prior to Game 7 of the World Series against the Cubs, Lindor received some good news while on his way to Progressive Field.

"She beat it," he said with a smile. "I found out she was healthy. Everything has a purpose."  The small red ribbon on Lindor's glove reminds him of that every day. (Jordan Bastian - MLB.com -March 2, 2017)

March 25, 2017: Look, as much as we love Spring Training, there's a lot of time to fill. The fun of watching those prospects you've heard so much about and the sheer joy of seeing real, actual baseball again can only carry you so far, and after that, there's still a game to finish.

So, in the ninth inning of the Indians' loss to the White Sox, Cleveland's radio team decided to welcome a special guest to the booth: Brody Chernoff, 6-year-old son of Indians GM Mike Chernoff. Things were going great at first, until Brody let something slip about dad's phone calls. 

After broadcaster Tom Hamilton asks if the younger Chernoff has any information he can divulge, Brody responds: "He's trying to get Lindor for seven more years." (C Landers - MLB.com - March 25, 2017)

Dec. 2017: Lindor spent time in the off-season in Japan practicing the martial art of Aikido. (Steven Kubitza-Fansided)

Jan. 21, 2018: Lindor is on the cover of the video game called R.B.I. Baseball 18.

Feb 16, 2018: While Francisco spoke with reporters on, Jason Kipnis could not stop laughing while at his locker. Pitcher Cody Anderson walked by with a wide grin, ran his fingers across Lindor's hair and then pulled the shortstop into a friendly headlock. The curly locks that Lindor sported under his lid the previous season are gone. He arrived to Cleveland's camp with short silver hair that matched the diamond-filled chain around his neck. Teammates immediately pounced on Lindor, cracking jokes about his new look.

"Hey, I liked the 'Thong Song' when it came out," Kipnis quipped.

Yes, Lindor's new style bears a resemblance to Sisqó, the R&B singer who topped the charts in the 1990s. As Lindor made his way around the locker room, giving out hugs and handshakes, the shortstop took all the verbal jibes in stride.

"Sisqó. Amber Rose. [I've heard] a lot of different ones," Lindor said with a smile. "A lot of different comments, but it's cool. It's all in fun." The decision to cut Lindor's locks was a family affair. One of his sisters suggested the color, and the dying process took more than an hour. Other family members were ready to see Lindor with short hair again. They all had a hand in cutting off the curls, along with Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela, who is a close friend, and then waited for the final result back home in Orlando.

"Everybody took care of business," Lindor said with a laugh. "Everybody was like, 'Let's cut it! Let's cut it! Let's cut it!' So, I cut it and then everybody was like, 'Oh no, why?'"

When the deed was done, Lindor snapped a photo with his father, Miguel, whose hair has gone gray. "I was like, 'Dad, I'm going for your look,'" Lindor said. "He liked it. He was like, 'Finally.'" (J Bastian - MLB.com - Feb 16, 2018)

A group of boys stood near the entrance to Escuela Villa Marina in anticipation of Francisco's appearance. When a crowd began to form outside the school's brown metal gate, they craned their necks to see if the Indians star was actually here.

One of the boys jumped repeatedly, caught a glimpse of Lindor, then turned around and flashed a thumbs up to a group of girls leaning over a teal blue second-floor balcony. The pride of their elementary school, where Lindor attended in his youth, had arrived. High-pitched screams of joy soon filled the courtyard and were quickly replaced by chants of "Lindor! Lindor! Lindor!"

The boys who had bounced around moments earlier now stood still, star-struck in Lindor's presence. A few boys in the courtyard carried baseballs with them as they trailed behind the big leaguer. Lindor shook their hands and offered fist bumps. As he walked toward the baseball field where his big league dreams began, Lindor looked up, smiled and waved to the group that refused to stop chanting.

In the distance, a few tattered Puerto Rican flags blew in the morning's steady wind. Many trees surrounding the school remained bent and twisted in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in September 2017. A handful of neighboring buildings still had blue tarps covering rooftops. Sections of the school's roof also suffered cracks and leaks. The canopy of the basketball court was damaged. Chips of paint are constant on the walls of the cement baseball stands and the classrooms.

Lindor's visit not only injected a heavy dose of joy for people affected by the hurricane, but it gave them a walking, breathing success story. The Indians shortstop used to play in that same courtyard, throwing baseballs against the cement walls. Miriam Fernandez Rosa, the school's secretary for the past 26 years, flashed a smile and laughed when asked if she remembered little "Paquito."

"Yes, he was really active," she said through an interpreter. "He was always running around this courtyard. This was his playground." 

Lindor joked that he was covered in dirt and sweat before it was even lunchtime.  "That was me," said Lindor, motioning to the kids running around his old baseball field. "I was just like them, crazy and running around and wild."

Lindor spent a few hours touring his old school, walking through his former classrooms and visiting with the kids who look up to the shortstop as "nuestro orgullo," or "our pride." Each class was recently given baseball-themed assignments ahead of Lindor's visit. The outer walls of the buildings were covered with projects and drawings related to Lindor's youth and rise to Major League stardom.

Lindor left Puerto Rico with his father when he was 12 years old, attended Monteverde Academy in Florida, and was a first-round pick by Cleveland in 2011. He reached the big leagues by 2015 and has since jettisoned to stardom. American League All-Star . . . AL Gold Glove Award . . . Silver Slugger . . . played in a World Series.

It started on the all-dirt infield behind the beige buildings at Escuela Villa Marina. Maybe Lindor gave a high-five to baseball's next superstar during his visit.

One large yellow banner hung by the students included the title, "Lindor 100% Energia" in large red letters. Indians fans are familiar with Lindor's high level of energy on the field, but he has been that way since he was a little kid in Miss Haddock's science class. Miss Haddock (her given name is Evelyn Hernandez) said Lindor, following his running around, used to pick a seat close to the window so he could cool off. 

All that energy paid dividends. "I'm extremely proud of him," Hernandez said. "They're super excited to have him here. He really serves as a motivation for these kids to maintain their discipline and persevere, and kind of reach for their goals. He's an example of that for them." 

At the end of his visit, Lindor and his mother, Maria, walked from classroom to classroom, examining all the artwork inspired by the shortstop. A pack of children was on their heels as they stopped to read all the words written in pencil and marker about Maria's son. He used to dream of becoming Roberto Alomar. Now, these children dream of becoming Lindor.

Lindor hears his name chanted as part of a hero's welcome. "It's a dream," Lindor said. "It's something that I don't take for granted. I take in every single second of it."  (Bastian - mlb.com - 4/16/18)

July 2018: Lindor was selected to the MLB All-Star game.

MR. SMILE

In 2017, MLB had its first ever Players Weekend, in which players got to wear custom jerseys with their nicknames on the back. Lindor went with "Mr. Smile."

Can you blame him?

His commitment to his dazzling grin is so sincere that he's even considered being a dentist. In 2016, he told Harold Reynolds that he was always a big smiler, but "since I got my braces off I was smiling even more … it gives you that confidence … and I would love to be able to help people that way."

Nov 14, 2018: Francisco went indoor skydiving for his birthday ... to photogenic results. He is known as "Mr. Smile" around the baseball world, and unlike some other nicknames, its meaning is pretty obvious—the guy just loves to smile. Whether it's on the base paths, working out, or dressing to impress.

For his 25th birthday, Lindor faced a new challenge. Could he smile through the crazy winds of indoor skydiving? You bet. As always, the birthday boy is looking good—albeit a little goofy. We think it adds to the charm.

Francisco knows how to put on a show. In addition to his stellar on-field play, the man has a personality that just won't be denied.

You experienced it firsthand during the 2018 All-Star Game broadcast when he was mic'd up in the field, and he didn't waste much time giving everybody another example several days later.

He dressed up in cowboy garb for the team's arrival to Globe Life Park in Arlington, and looked the part quite well. (Garro - mlb.com - 7/20/18)

“He’s been a natural-born leader since he set foot in this clubhouse,” Indians closer Cody Allen said after the 2018 season. “You would never think, ‘This kid is 24.’ He shows up every single day willing to grind and put in the work. He’s never too high or too low. He respects the game, he plays the game the right way and he has his teammates’ backs every day. And Jose Ramirez is the same way. Those two guys are awesome for creating a clubhouse atmosphere that leads to winning. They’re the cream of the crop.”

In 2018, Lindor won the Indians' Bob Feller Man of the Year Award for the most dynamic season to date in his dynamic career.

Dec 1, 2018: Lindor paid a visit to the Lord's Cricket Ground in London, where he learned how to play cricket.

A few days later, Lindor traveled north to another of England's iconic sports venues when he dropped in on Jurgen Klopp and Sadio Mane at Anfield prior to Liverpool's rivalry matchup against Everton. He even got his own jersey. 

Lindor stuck around Anfield to take in the Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton and was treated to an exciting match. Liverpool won, 1-0, on a 96th-minute goal from Divock Origi. Clearly, the shortstop had a good time: After trips to famous cricket and soccer stadiums, there's no telling where we'll see Lindor pop up next. (E Chesterton - MLB.com - Dec 1, 2018)

January 2019: Lindor dyed his hair blue in the weeks before Spring Training.

Players with back-to-back seasons of 80+ extra-base hits and 15+ steals: Jeff Bagwell (1996-97), Ken Griffey Jr. (1997-98), Alfonso Soriano (2005-07), Francisco Lindor (2017-18), Jose Ramirez (2017-18).

July 2019: Lindor represented the Indians in the All-Star Game.

July 16, 2019: Lindor received the MLB Players Alumni Association "Heart and Hustle" award for the Indians. This esteemed award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. 

Feb 1, 2020: Lindor said he spent about one percent of his offseason paying attention to trade rumors, but the four-time All-Star didn’t need more time than that to know he was thrown in the Hot Stove spotlight. And he shouldn’t expect that attention to go away any time soon. Lindor is under team control through the end of the 2021 season. But will he remain a part of the organization until he hits free agency? If he does, what’s next? The front office has previously mentioned that it’s constantly trying to come up with ways to keep its shortstop in Cleveland beyond the next two seasons.

Lindor and the Indians were able to avoid arbitration this year, agreeing to a one-year, $17 million contract, but the shortstop was asked why they haven’t been able to land on a multiyear deal.

“Because they haven’t offered me the right thing,” Lindor said.

“Do I feel like when I'm 37, am I gonna be down with my playing level? No, I don't think so,” Lindor said. “Is there a right number for me right now? I haven't really thought about it. I'm not there yet. I'm going to worry about what I got in front of my toes. A lot of money sounds pretty right now. Everything sounds pretty. A lot of years sound pretty, too. At the end of the day, it's about what's best for me, my family, and also the Indians' organization.”

“If they don't think I can stay here because of the money situation, then I won't be here,” Lindor said. 

A lot of the attention has been put on Lindor’s worth. When looking at the big contracts handed out over the last few years, including Bryce Harper’s 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies or Manny Machado’s 10-year, $300-million deal with the Padres, Lindor will likely find himself in similar territory when he hits free agency. Though he wants to make sure it’s clear that, no matter where he ends up, this isn’t just about his salary.

“Wherever I go, I want to win. It has nothing to do with the money. It has nothing to do with the years. It has nothing to do with who I like or who I don’t like. It has to do with championships.” (M Bell - MLB.com - Feb 1, 2020)

May 4, 2020: In this Golden Age 2.0 for shortstops, Lindor sits at the head of the class.

Companions like Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager have all shined at various points, but Lindor has established the most glory-bound path of the bunch. Regardless of when he steps back on the field this year, Lindor has already banked nearly 28 wins above replacement (per Baseball-Reference) and belted an incredible 130 home runs through his age-25 season. The list of shortstops who hit both of those marks before their 26th birthday has just three names: Cal Ripken Jr., Alex Rodriguez and Lindor.

That kind of head start is why it’s already time to start thinking about 15-20 years from now, when Lindor could be walking across the induction stage in Cooperstown to hold his Hall of Fame plaque. Too soon? Well, the projection systems are starting to dream, too. Here’s what FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski, creator of the ZiPS system, wrote in his 2020 Indians preview:

“Lindor is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, with ZiPS now projecting him to finish with around 80 wins, a .279/.339/.490 career line, 443 homers, and 2,600 hits."

The only three modern shortstops who cleared the 80-WAR mark are A-Rod (who played a plurality of his games at short), Ripken and Honus Wagner. So that benchmark screams Hall of Fame lock. Obviously, that’s a bit of pressure to put on the Indians’ superstar, but until baseball starts again, we may as well have some fun and peer into the crystal ball. Here are three potential career paths for Lindor, with a ceiling, a floor and a middle path. 

The ceiling: Cal Ripken Jr. (95.9 Wins Above Replacement).

Why not go with a power shortstop prototype? Asking Lindor to mimic the Iron Man’s longevity is a tall task, but their careers look pretty similar at the beginning. Each star quickly shed the slap-hitting reputation of their positions and morphed into the slugging heart of their clubs’ lineups.

Ripken through age 25 (1981-86):  .289/.351/.483; 129 OPS+, 133 HR, 11 SB, 34.6 bWAR

Lindor through age 25 (2015-19):  .288/.347/.493; 119 OPS+, 130 HR, 93 SB, 27.6 bWAR

Ripken suited up in 130 more games than Lindor at this point, already portending the durability that would define him. But while Cal’s power stood out a little more in a less homer-happy time, Lindor has brought another element to the table with his legs. He’s a legitimate threat to pair 30 homers with 30 steals at some point in the coming years, a feat achieved by just four shortstops (Rodriguez, Barry Larkin, Hanley Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins).

Ripken was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1982, and he captured his first of two career MVP Awards the following year in his age-22 season. Beginning with that 1983 season and stretching through the next 10 campaigns, Ripken dipped below 4 WAR just once and cleared the 20-homer mark nine times. While Lindor hasn’t matched Cal in the hardware department yet, it’s not hard to close your eyes and picture him matching that same level of consistency through his 30th birthday.

And don’t forget about defense. While metrics are a little fuzzier when looking at Ripken’s era, his defensive WAR total through age 25 (11.3) isn’t far ahead of Lindor’s (8.9) at this point. 

The floor: Troy Tulowitzki (44.5 WAR)

A demanding position like shortstop can create some wider variations after a player hits 30, and Tulowitzki is the perfect example. Because while some time has passed, many had the same thoughts about Tulo’s path potentially leading to Cooperstown before injuries took their toll.

Tulowitzki through age 25 (2006-10):  .290/.362/.495; 114 OPS+, 92 HR, 42 SB, 20.4 bWAR

Tulowitzki was productive for perhaps a little longer than you might think. In 2014, for instance, he racked up nearly 6 WAR over just 91 games (the third-highest total in any season of 100 or fewer games) before undergoing hip surgery during the summer. Sadly, that surgery was a turning point in Tulo’s promising career, though he did rally for one more productive season in ‘16 (24 HRs, 3.3 bWAR) before things went south for good.

Tulowitzki’s career WAR stood right around 40—halfway to Lindor’s long-term ZiPS projections—through his age-30 campaign, then a litany of lower-body injuries wiped out a promising second half of his Major League tenure. While Lindor has gotten off to an even better start than Tulowitzki, Tulo is an unfortunate reminder that things can unravel. Still, a fate similar to Tulo’s (five All-Star games, three top-10 finishes in MVP voting) would still constitute an excellent career.

The average: Barry Larkin (70.5 WAR)

Larkin might be overshadowed now by the A-Rods, Nomars, Jeters and current crop of star shortstops that came up after him, but he was a bona-fide star of the 1990s and a logical Hall of Fame choice when he retired after the 2004 season.

Larkin through age 25 (1986-89):  .289/.338/.413; 106 OPS+, 31 HR, 79 SB, 13.6 WAR

There’s no question that Lindor has gotten off to a faster start. His power certainly evolved quicker than Larkin, though there’s also no question that Lindor is enjoying an environment much more conducive to dingers and slugging. If Lindor were coming up in the late 1980s, he might have been asked to perform a lot more small-ball tasks (see Larkin’s 10 sacrifice bunts in 1988). When adjusting for the different offensive climates through the prism of FanGraphs’ era-adjusted stats, the stars’ slash lines align a little closer.

Lindor through age 25:  113 BA+, 108 OBP+, 116 SLG+

Larkin through age 25:   112 BA+, 104 OBP+, 106 SLG+

The two also feel similar in their all-around games. Larkin is one of those four 30-30 shortstops we mentioned earlier, and he was a 20-steal threat (peaking at 51 during his 1995 NL MVP season) through his age-35 campaign. Like Lindor, Larkin also brought a ton of defensive value, capturing three Gold Glove Awards.

Where Larkin could really inspire Lindor is in the durability department. Like Tulo, Larkin was nearing the 40-WAR mark after he wrapped up his age-30 season in 1994. But he was nearly as productive in his 30s as well, racking up four 5-plus WAR campaigns in the next five years (including a 1995 MVP). Larkin didn’t dip below replacement-level value until age 37, and he even rallied for one more All-Star nod in his final tour at age 40.

In total, Larkin walked away with 12 All-Star selections, nine Silver Sluggers, that MVP and roughly 70 WAR. Lindor is on pace for even more than that, but even a “return to the mean,” once all is said and done would still make Frankie a Hall of Fame lock. (M Kelly - MLB.com - May 4, 2020)

Sept 11, 2020: Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor and Twins reliever Sergio Romo had a brief altercation, which resulted in a fine for Lindor and a one-game suspension for Romo. Now, the Indians are hoping to find a positive spin on the situation,

At the end of the top of the eighth inning in the series opener at Target Field, Lindor flied out and flashed a smile at Romo while jogging down the baseline, which caused a few words to be exchanged. The benches cleared momentarily, and the bullpens ran in from the outfield just moments before order was restored and the game resumed.

“Just a little chirping around,” temporary Indians manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said. “I didn’t see anything necessary to suspend people, but that’s Major League Baseball trying to prevent things to escalate in the future. I imagine that was their thought.” (M Bell - MLB.com - Sept 12, 2020)

November 4, 2020: Lindor became a father for the first time. His girlfriend, Katia Reguero, gave birth that day to a girl, Kalina. On Dec. 27 he proposed to Reguero in their backyard. On Jan. 7 the couple announced their engagement—the same day he was traded to the Mets.

Jan 11, 2021:  Francisco sat in front of his computer with a Mets hat on his head and his famous smile across his face. In his first time addressing the media as a member of the Mets, Lindor was asked how he could best say goodbye to the only professional organization he had known.

“Oh man, it’s really hard,” Lindor said. “Cleveland is home ... or was home.”

Lindor admitted that he had been thinking about the inevitable trade throughout this offseason, and he said the same after the Indians were eliminated from the 2020 postseason. The four-time All-Star shortstop had heard the trade rumors before, but this time, the writing was on the wall. And last week, the rumors turned into reality when he got the call that he had been traded along with teammate Carlos Carrasco to the Mets.

“There was a lot of mixed feelings,” Lindor said. “You know, there was definitely a lot of mixed feelings where Cleveland was home, I love Cleveland, the people of Cleveland have treated me well, [it's] a great organization. I have nothing but respect and love for all of them. The fans were great the time I was there.

 “But also, there’s been so much excitement about the Mets that I couldn't help myself to be extremely excited, to be happy. This is a new opportunity for me, my family, and I’m blessed. I’m blessed to be able to play the greatest game out there in probably the biggest city in the world, and one of the most fun cities in the world.”

Cleveland’s 2011 first-round draft pick quickly turned into the face of its franchise just a few years later. “Mr. Smile” captivated audiences with his fun-loving personality and his talents, both offensively and defensively, and morphed into a star. But as free agency grew closer, the reality started to set in that this wouldn’t be a long-term marriage.

The Indians and Lindor attempted to agree to an extension as recently as last Spring Training, but when the two sides presented their best offers and they weren’t able to agree, the Tribe had two options: Keep Lindor through the 2021 season and let him walk into free agency, or trade him to get some talent in return.

“I mean, for a long time, I thought that the Indians could hold onto me,” Lindor said. “So I mean, it was just they didn’t come up with the number and I don’t know how to put this one. Their resources, maybe they didn’t have it. But I’m excited that I’m in a place that’s ready to go win, and I’m looking forward to it.”

“Reasonable people can have reasonable perspectives and still not agree on things,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “I don’t begrudge Frankie for anything. He worked his tail off to become one of the best players in baseball at a really young age. He represents everything that’s great about the game."

“I will miss the people in Cleveland, how they treated me, how they respected me, and I will miss my teammates,” Lindor said. “That’s the downside of it. But New York is New York. There’s an unlimited amount of resources over there, everything [is now] at the tip of your fingers and I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s a great city for my little girl to grow in.”

But before Lindor could shift all his attention to the Big Apple, he had to figure out a way to say goodbye to the first organization to give him a chance at the big league level.

“The only thing I can say is thank you,” Lindor said. “Thank you for making my life easier. Thank you for just letting me go play baseball and they took care of the rest. I really appreciate that from ownership, front office, Chris Antonetti, the coaching staff, the trainers, the strength and conditioning staff, everybody did an outstanding job and they helped me shape me into the man that I am today. They are a big reason why I have success. So I thank them all for letting me be Francisco Lindor.” (M Bell - MLB.com - Jan 11, 2021)

March 10, 2021: When Francisco came to Florida’s Montverde Academy from Puerto Rico as an eighth grader, he thought he was too cool for school. Literally. Lindor didn’t believe it was imperative for him to learn English. After all, his talent on the baseball field was all that mattered for him to reach his ultimate goal of playing in the Majors.

Shortly after arriving at Montverde Academy, he quickly realized just how important his English skills and his education as a whole would be for him.

“I was, in my mind, a cool kid that wasn't going to let anybody step on me, and I was going to do whatever it took to be a good baseball player,” Lindor said. “Then I soon realized that, to live where I was, I needed to learn the language. To order food, I needed to learn the language. To play the game that I loved the most, I needed to learn the language. “Right then, education became first. There's this term called student-athlete. You’re a student first, then you become an athlete. They preach that a lot at Montverde.”

Lindor was part of a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event, done virtually, as Montverde Academy opened “Lindor Hall,” its new Middle School building.

“We are extremely blessed, happy to forever have our last name at the school Montverde Academy, the school that saw me grow and helped me become a young man at such an early age,” Lindor said. “I'm honored to be able to do this. I believe education is the foundation of the future of every young man and young woman out there.” He donated $1 million toward the construction of the state-of-the-art building, which will serve 203 middle school students. He also established the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund, which will provide selected current and prospective students with financial assistance to attend the Academy.  (M Feinsand - MLB.com - March 10, 2021)

In Spring Training 2021, Francisco was asked what matters to him in extension talks.  Lindor did not discuss length of contract, average annual value, opt-outs or no-trade clauses. Instead, he answered quickly: “My family.”

“Wherever my family is happy, wherever my family is comfortable, that’s what I value the most,” Lindor said. “I’m very appreciative of the position I am [in] today. I’m blessed to be in this position. I’m humbled that a team would love to pay me. But I want my family to be happy. I want my family to be in a safe place. I knew they could be safe in Cleveland, and I know they can be safe in New York. So we’ll see what happens.”  (DiComo - mlb.com - 3/16/2021)

March 22, 2021: If anyone in the world understands the particulars of Lindor’s situation, it is Mike Piazza. Twenty-three years ago, Piazza was in the midst of his prime, months away from free agency, when the Mets acquired him in a blockbuster deal with the Marlins.

At first, Piazza was wary of his new home in Queens, until he adjusted his view to see the city as a challenge. Quickly, Piazza not only embraced New York, but doubled down on it. Weeks after the 1998 season ended, without much more than a stray glance at free agency, Piazza signed a seven-year, $91 million deal to remain with the Mets. He went on to become the team’s second Hall of Fame player, and a bedrock piece of franchise history.

“It wasn’t until about the end of August where I started really saying, ‘I can do this. I’m meant to be here, and I have to follow through on this,’” Piazza recalled from Port St. Lucie, Fla., where he was making his annual visit to Spring Training. “Things worked out.”

Because of the coronavirus situation, most Mets ambassadors—David Wright, Dwight Gooden, John Franco—did not make their regular spring pilgrimages to Clover Park. But Piazza, who keeps a home in Miami, despite living much of the year in Italy, had an easier commute than most to the Mets facility. When he showed up, manager Luis Rojas introduced him to a clubhouse full of players.

Piazza told the group that if anyone had specific questions, not to hesitate to flag him down. And so several did. Those early conversations included one with Lindor, who came to the Mets in January via the same sort of blockbuster trade that had brought Piazza to New York in 1998. No two situations are identical, of course, with the unique family matters and career aspirations that all players must consider.

But the extension decision currently facing Lindor has clear parallels to what Piazza faced. Already a superstar upon arrival, Piazza was unsure about his future until after he spent a few months in Flushing. Yes, the $91 million the Mets offered him (at the time, a Major League record) played the most significant role in his signing, but Piazza wasn’t going to ink his signature unless he felt comfortable in New York.

“There’s a spiritual component to it,” Piazza said. “Lindor has got to go out and get comfortable, and the fact that he has such a good team around him is important as well. For me, there was also the human element. We were at a time with the team where we knew they were trying to win, so we were going to put some pieces in place to try to make that happen. So that’s my only advice for him: Just go out and play. Go out and play, put your numbers up, and if it’s meant to be, he’s going to be here.”

Shortly after arriving at his first Mets camp last month, Lindor described a similar mindset, saying he couldn’t even begin to think about an extension without first learning the organization’s intricacies. “They have to get to know me,” was Lindor’s oft-repeated phrase. Whether Lindor’s Mets tenure ends like Piazza’s, with his name plastered across the franchise record books and his uniform number hanging high above Citi Field, remains to be seen. Team officials continue to discuss nine-figure possibilities with Lindor, who has said he won’t negotiate past Opening Day. That gives the Mets barely a week to complete a deal like the one that transformed Piazza from a superstar in New York to a bona fide New Yorker.

“To use a metaphor, you can’t steal second with your foot on first,” Piazza said. “You’ve got to go out into the deep waters, and you’ve got to go into some areas that may be challenging for you. But guess what? You can’t have a fear of failure. The only failure is not trying. And so for me, when you embrace that and you’re able to just let it go, things sometimes have a way of working out." (A DiComo - MLB.com - March 22, 2021)

Upon becoming the richest shortstop in Major League history, Lindor’s first call was to his fiancée, Katia, who was home with the couple’s infant daughter.  His next was to his sister, who was already asleep.  Teeming with nervous energy in his Washington hotel room, Lindor kept dialing. His father. His cousins.  Several friends.

A day later, with the ink on his 10-year, $341 million contract extension still fresh, Lindor laughed when recalling the conversation with his dad—long one of his strongest backers and harshest critics.  Lindor confessed to his father that he wanted to scream.  Miguel Lindor told him not to.  “I’m like, ‘Pops, what are you talking about?’” the younger Lindor said, laughing.  “‘You know when you drive down the highway and you see the billboard for the Powerball that says $300 million?  You’re going to tell me you’re not going to scream?  I’m going to scream. I want to scream.’”

For Lindor, this was indeed no lottery. About 16 hours after agreeing to terms on an extension that will keep him a Met until his 38th birthday, Lindor stressed that his negotiations were about establishing roots in a city that, while still somewhat foreign to Lindor, fascinates him like no other. 

“I know I haven’t been to New York, but the guys, the boys made me feel comfortable around them,” Lindor said. “They made me a part of what they have in the clubhouse, and I love that. I love the opportunity that I have to bring a championship to the city of Queens.”

The deal is not without significant risk for the Mets, who are now tied to Lindor for more than a decade.  They were willing to do it both for the obvious reasons as well as the less tangible ones.  Since the early days of Spring Training 2021, manager Luis Rojas and others have lauded Lindor for his ability to ingrain himself into clubhouse culture. They see a leader who can represent them off the field for years to come.

“When you talk about being the face of an organization, the face of baseball, also a Latin player,” Rojas said, “it’s because of his personality.  That should be natural for him, just because of all the things he does with his demeanor.  And it’s consistent every day.”

That is why the Mets had no qualms about not only extending Lindor, but going beyond their internal projections of his value to do so, and drawing up the papers for a full decade.  The expectation is that Lindor will shine throughout his tenure. Asked what kind of player he will be at age 38, he grinned and replied: “A bad mother …”

Then Lindor launched into all the ways he intends to make good on the team’s commitment to him—as a shortstop, as a hitter, as a leader and as a Met.  “This logo right here means a lot,” Lindor said, pointing to the interlocking NY on his shirt. “I’ve got to go out there every single day and defend it, and play as hard as I can for this, for what I have on my chest. That’s what it means. That number next to me? That’s what it means. Those are 341 million reasons for me to go out there and play the game the right way.”  (DiComo - mlb.com - 4/1/2021)

Before joining the Mets in 2021, Francisco had never taken much time to explore New York City.  His trips here had been limited to Indians games at Yankee Stadium, leaving little time for leisure.  So when Lindor did arrive in New York, he recruited a tour guide:  fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Beltrán, who spent nearly half of his two-decade big league career in New York, and who still calls the city home.

Beltrán and his wife, Jessica, recently helped Lindor and his fiancée, Katia, find a place to live in New York.  “We spent a good time talking, and we ate,” Lindor said.  “My fiancée met Jessica. It was good stuff. Everything was great.  Beltrán has been a big mentor in my career.”

Beltrán has kept a low profile since he and the Mets parted ways in January 2020, three months after the team named him manager.  Still, he remains a significant influence in the Major League community, particularly among Puerto Rican players.

“He talked to me before the season started, as soon as I got traded,” Lindor said. “He just said, ‘Be yourself, be real to yourself and to the other people. Be accountable with everything you do, and just enjoy. You’re in a great city. There’s great momentum in the organization, so have fun. Go out there and give everything you have every single day.’”  Francisco hasn’t done much exploring yet.  Lindor said he wants to wait until getting his second Covid injection before moving more freely about the city.

When he does, he intends to let Katia take the lead, as Lindor’s fiancée is interested in visiting museums and art galleries around New York City.  Lindor’s own interest lies more in the restaurant scene.  “I love eating,” he said. “If people have recommendations, send them my way.”  In that manner, Lindor plans to make New York home. 

“I thank the Lord, I had a great life prior to signing, and I bought a lot of things,” Lindor said, laughing.  “I spent a lot of money on the dumbest things ever. I’m past that stage in my life where I just go crazy spending money.  I’ve been there, done that.  I’ve got a family, [fiancée], a little girl. I’ve got to make sure I do things the right way for them.  I might buy some land, houses.  We’ll see.  I’m into cars and watches, and I’ve got plenty of them.”  (DiComo - mlb.com - 4/13/2021)

When Lindor was 12, his father moved the family to Orlando so that Francisco could attend Montverde Academy and that Jezabel, who was eight at the time, could receive better medical care. An arrangement for Francisco to board at the school fell through, leaving his father; his stepmother, Mari Rivera; Francisco; his stepsister, Jezabel; and his toddler sister, Angela, to live in a $100-a-week motel room on U.S. Route 192, 45 minutes from the school. Francisco slept in a top bunk with his nose close to the ceiling.

On the drive to Francisco’s first day of school, Miguel quizzed his son on the English words they had practiced in Puerto Rico. Francisco remembered almost none of them. He could not grasp the phrase, “I don’t understand.” Miguel stopped the car.

“Give me your hand.”

Francisco opened his palm. Miguel grabbed a pen and wrote on it, “I don’t understand.”

“There,” he said. “When you don’t understand something, just show that to people.”

Francisco would call his mother in Puerto Rico and cry into the telephone because the math textbooks made no sense.

“You’ll be fine,” she said. “You can do it. Keep on pushing.”

“I was scared,” Lindor says. “It’s not that I felt I was in the middle of nowhere. I was in the middle of nowhere. I was like, Where am I? It was difficult the first three or four days. And then you start going to baseball practice.”

Lindor, who became a boarder at the school after two months of commuting, was determined to be a major leaguer. The idea of being on television motivated him. “I thought I came here to play the game,” Lindor says. “I didn’t need English to play the game.”

He flunked the introductory level of English as a Second Language. His friends moved to ESL II. Lindor repeated ESL I. He was the only one in the class.

“I looked around and thought, I’m the dumb kid,” he says. “I didn’t like school. I wasn’t going to do schoolwork then—until they said, ‘Well, if you don’t do your schoolwork, you can’t play.’ I said, ‘O.K. I’ve got to study first to be on the field. I got it. I’ll do whatever it takes to be on the field. Cool.’ That helped me understand there is a process to everything. I have to get that done first to be successful somewhere else.”

By his senior year Lindor was one of the top prospects in the nation. So was Javier Báez, who like Lindor had left Puerto Rico for Florida at age 12. When their two high school teams met for a game that February, 110 scouts and executives attended.

“One thing that stood out about Lindor was that right away you said, ‘There’s no doubt this guy can play shortstop in the big leagues,’ ” says Josh Byrnes, then the Padres’ senior vice president of baseball operations. “He had gifted hands. And when you did the background work on him you found out he had a relationship with his special needs sister that was pretty significant. He wasn’t just a high-energy player. He was a high-class person.”

Says Lindor, “Seeing Jezabel reminds me, ‘You’re in a much better position. No matter what, don’t complain. Don’t complain. You’ve got your health? You’re fine.’ And she’s a happy girl. She smiles a lot. But it’s like, ‘Don’t complain. You’re good.’ ”

Lindor agreed to a $2.9 million signing bonus just one minute before a midnight deadline. Otherwise, he would have gone to a junior college.

“I had no fear. I trust the process,” he says. “My dad is on the couch like desperate. ‘Oh, my God. What are you doing?’ I’m like, Pops, it’s O.K. If God wants me to play the game, I will play the game.”

Lindor was staying at a hotel in Arizona during Instructional League when the direct deposit cleared. He saw the net amount in his online statement: $1.45 million.

“I looked outside my hotel window and I saw a Best Buy,” he says. “I walk in, I see an iPad and I said, ‘I want that one. That color. Just sell me that.’ I bought it and went back to my room. That was the greatest thing ever.”

Lindor also used the money to buy homes for both his parents. (His mom, Maria, now lives across the street from him in Clermont, Florida.) He also bought something else for himself in addition to the iPad: braces.

“My dad always told me my teeth were fine,” he says. “I was like, Dad, they’re jacked up. We didn’t have money to pay for them. Growing up I did smile a lot, but not in pictures. In pictures I had a half-smile. When I got back home, we had the house and I got braces. It changed my life. I was like, I’m good.” (Tom Verducci - Sports Illustrated - April, 2021)

 2021 Season: The first couple of months of the season were rough for him. He struggled in April and May. Through those two months, he was hitting .194/.294/.294 with four homers and four stolen bases.

Fans, who were initially ecstatic about Lindor’s arrival, were booing him at Citi Field by early May.

If we consider the season as a whole, Lindor struggled in 2021. He hit .230/.322/.412 with 20 homers and 10 stolen bases in 125 games.

He was merely an average hitter, with a 103 wRC+ (weighted Runs Created Plus, an offensive metric that measures offensive performance, with 100 being considered average).

His career wRC+ is 117, and his highest mark is 132, in 2018. So clearly, it wasn’t his best year.

From 2017 to 2019, he slugged more than 30 homers each season, so his 2021 output was also a disappointment. But there are important things to understand about Lindor’s season. The year 2021 marked the first time he played for a big-market team, with one of the most demanding fan bases in MLB. He also moved to a new city, with new people, teammates, and surroundings.

Additionally, his contract extension saga was probably in his head for most of spring training, altering his focus and, therefore, his preparation. The expectations of playing under a mammoth contract and being the face of a franchise on which he hadn’t played a single game were probably factors, too.

On the field, he wasn’t barreling the ball during those first couple of months (4.9 barrel percentage). He made the adjustments and started improving from June on. From June 1 to the end of the season, Lindor played like his normal self: a 10.4 barrel percentage, a .252/.340/.482 line, 16 home runs, and a 124 wRC+.

He missed several weeks in July and August with an oblique injury, but performance-wise, his second half was positive.  (Andres Chavez - Jan 3, 2022)

June 17, 2022: One thing is certain: Francisco’s mother, Maria Serrano, brought luck to her son at Citi Field. Two days before Father’s Day (U.S.), Serrano surprised her son and announced her presence at the stadium. The weekend visit would not have happened without Lindor’s wife, Katia.

Lindor was pleasantly surprised to see her. She hasn’t been well in recent years. In 2020, Serrano suffered an aneurysm that led to a stroke. The family didn’t know if she would be able to travel again. But there she was talking to her son after the Mets had a team meeting around 5:50 p.m.  “My wife was very emotional, telling me that I was going to get one of the greatest Father’s Day gifts. To me, I was like, ‘All right. Something is happening,’” Lindor said. “My mother surprised me and my entire family. It fills my heart. I play the game for my mom and my entire family. To have her here at this moment, it’s a win for me. It’s a win for the entire family.”

Serrano stayed to cheer on her son in the Mets’ 10-4 victory against the Marlins. It was the first time she saw him play in New York as a member of the Mets. Lindor had one of his best games of the season; he went 1-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs.

Lindor got things started for New York in the first inning. With Pablo López on the mound, Lindor wasted no time giving the Mets the lead by launching an 0-1 pitch into the black batter’s eye in center field for a three-run homer.

"I think in that situation though, being ahead in the count with … Lindor at the plate, I thought that pitch could have been better,” López said. “Obviously they know I throw a lot of changeups. Being that the case, I think being in an 0-1 count, I could have executed that pitch better. Just try to expand the zone down and just try to go for the chase. If not, it's still a 1-1 count, I can still make another pitch to get ahead."

Lindor's home run traveled 440 feet, his longest as a member of the Mets. He was yelling and screaming with joy as he ran the bases. 

“I’m a person that shows a lot of emotions, but to run the bases, scream—there were a lot of things going through my mind," Lindor said. "To me, it was very special to do that for the team, and for my mom for sure."

Lindor's prowess with the bat wasn’t his only specialty on display. He showed he could pick it with the glove. In the third inning, Lindor made a backhanded stab up the middle and threw out the speedy Jazz Chisholm Jr.

After the game, Lindor was able to introduce his mother to the team. Alonso was happy to see his teammate excel in front of his mother. 

“I’m happy that she was able to be here and see him ball out the way he did,” Alonso said.  Most importantly, Lindor is thankful his mother is alive.

“She is better. She is here. So that is a good thing,” Lindor said. “My mother means the world to me. I’ve done commercials with her, she has been to the World Series, cooking for people. She is the world. Then she disappeared after 2020. It’s been a tough long journey here. She is a true warrior. And to see her here—I’m just happy. She is better.” (B Ladson - MLB .com - June 18, 2022)

2022 Season: There were high expectations for Francisco after he was acquired by the Mets during the 2020-21 offseason. And in the 2022 season, those expectations were met.

Lindor came over to the Mets along with Carlos Carrasco in a trade that sent Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Josh Wolf, and Isaiah Greene to Cleveland. Before the start of the 2021 regular season, the Mets signed Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract extension.

The cost to bring Lindor to New York and keep him there was not cheap, and therefore the expectations for the shortstop were high. So, when he finished the season batting .230/.322/.412 with 73 runs scored, 20 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 524 at bats, fans were less than impressed. While he still played solid defense and his overall 2021 season production was still worth 3.0 bWAR and 4.2 fWAR, the fact of the matter was that he put together one of his worst seasons during the first year with the Mets.

As the calendar flipped to 2022, all eyes were on Lindor in his sophomore year with the Mets. Would he continue his struggles from 2021, or would he bounce back to the player the Mets thought they were getting when they went all-in on him prior to last season? 

Lindor finished the 2022 regular season batting .270/.339/.449 with 98 runs scored, 26 home runs, a career-high 107 RBIs (most ever by a Mets shortstop), and 16 stolen bases in 630 at bats. He played in all but one game the entire season and provided the Mets with 5.4 bWAR and 6.8 fWAR.  (John Jackson - Oct 6, 2022)

In 2022, Lindor won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.

Lindor bounced back from a subpar season at the plate in 2021, posting a 125 OPS+ with 26 home runs, 107 RBIs and 16 steals for the Mets in 2022. But there’s much more to Lindor than his abilities on the baseball field. He has long been involved in charitable endeavors in his community, both in the U.S. and his native Puerto Rico, where he has traveled to help in recovery efforts following natural disasters and has committed financial assistance, including $50,000 after Hurricane Fiona hit the Caribbean island in September. Lindor also serves as an alternate association player representative for the Mets in the MLBPA.

The Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award is presented each year to the player “whose leadership most inspires others to higher levels of achievement.” It is named in honor of the MLBPA’s first full-time executive director, who from 1966-82 was instrumental in the process of establishing and implementing free agency and making the MLBPA one of the most cohesive labor unions in the country.

Ask most MLB players and they’ll tell you: It's immensely important to them what their peers think of their performance on the field. So when the MLB Players Association reveals the Players Choice Awards each year, it’s a major moment. (M Randhawa - MLB.com - Nov 4, 2022)

Lindor committed to play for Puerto Rico in the 2023 WBC. Lindor will be Puerto Rico's captain at the World Baseball Classic. On March 15, Lindor hit an inside-the-park-homerun against the Dominican Republic. 

Lindor is one of the best players in baseball. He is happily married to Katia Reguero.

Francisco first met Katia on social media. At that time, Francisco played for the Indians while Katia was a Puerto Rican native living in Arizona. They met each other while Lindor was in the desert for spring training. They started dating each other around late 2019 or early 2020, judging by their social media posts.

Both Francisco and Katia realized that they are compatible with each other and started planning to have a family. They welcomed their first child, Kalina, in December 2020. They got married on December 19, 2021, in a ceremony that was attended by many MLB stars and their families.

Francisco and Katia continue to live a happy life together with their daughter Kalina. They announced on January 10, 2023, that they are expecting another child in June. (Arka Mukherjee - Apr 17, 2023)

May 2023: In an article for the New York Post, Francisco was asked about how he came to work out the mechanics of his swing. He cited his 67-year-old mother Maria's advice, stating:

 “She always says to me, ‘Bite your lips, squeeze your butt, and swing hard." (Adrian Dorney - Modified May 13, 2023)

Among the brightly colored shoes lined up in Francisco locker one day sat an object of a decidedly different tone. It was green, red and tan, with one of the most recognizable logos in the world on the side.

It was a one-of-a-kind baseball glove manufactured by Rawlings and designed by Gucci, the Italian fashion house. And it was perfect for Lindor, one of the most fashion-conscious players in the game today.

“I think it’s really cool,” Lindor said. “It’s a fun glove. And I think it’s also good for the game that brands like that do collaborations with MLB. It brings fans from different parts of the world that don’t necessarily know much about the sport, but they know Gucci.”

Lindor, who has his own New Balance shoe line and typically designs elements of his Rawlings gloves, had no role in the look or style of this Gucci model. But when Rawlings and Gucci decided to collaborate on a glove, the companies chose Lindor as the perfect recipient. (Anthony DiComo - June 10, 2023)

July 8, 2023: Lindor is the first player in the modern MLB era to have 8 or more hits, multiple steals, multiple triples, and multiple home runs in a two-game span.

Aug 14, 2023: By stealing his 20th base, which came in the fifth inning on Pirates right-hander Quinn Priester, Lindor became the first member of the Mets to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season since Carlos Beltrán in 2008. (B Ladson - MLB.com - Aug 15, 2023) 

His defensive metrics are excellent. His offensive numbers, when adjusted to his park and league, are comparable to what they were in Cleveland. But perhaps the most impressive thing about Lindor is his durability. In his past two seasons, he has missed only three games. He has played the most games at shortstop of any player since 2016:

Francisco Lindor, 1,095     Xander Bogaerts, 1,068      Brandon Crawford, 976   (Rosenthal - Sep 21, 2023- The Athletic)

Sept 27, 2023: Lindor homered three times in the Mets’ doubleheader split with the Marlins at Citi Field to become the fourth player in franchise history to produce 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. (A DiComo - MLB.com - Sept 28, 2023)

Stats: 160 Games, 602 At Bats, .254 Batting Average, 153 Hits, 33 Doubles, 2 Triples, 31 Home Runs, 98 RBIs, 108 Runs Scored, 31 Stolen Bases, 66 Walks, .806 OPS, 6.0 WAR

Story: After a strong 2022 season with the Mets, Lindor entered 2023 hoping to build on it and truly establish himself as a face of the franchise. Like most of the team, Lindor struggled in the early going, notably collecting most of his power production as a righthanded hitter and hitting just .211 on June 17. Lindor’s second child was born that day, and it seemed to ease a lot of pressure on him as Lindor went on a massive tear the rest of the way, putting up huge numbers and inserting himself into the All-Star conversation even though the players comically snubbed Lindor in favor of Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo as a reserve.

The Mets saw Lindor become the spark plug of the offense down the stretch and he finished the year as a member of the 30/30 club, becoming the first Met to enter it since David Wright did back in 2007. Lindor also ended up with 98 RBIs, finishing just two shy of 100, and played his typical outstanding defense to put up a 6.0 WAR season, the second highest mark in that category of his career. Even though Lindor was snubbed for a Gold Glove award in favor of Chicago’s Dansby Swanson, he did pick up the National League’s Silver Slugger award at shortstop, adding some worthy recognition for his outstanding season.

Grade: A+

Lindor was the Mets’ most valuable player this season and it wasn’t close. The production that the Mets got out of Lindor was even more impressive when it was revealed he played most of the season with a bone spur in his right elbow. Lindor underwent offseason surgery to remove the bone spur and deserves credit for playing through pain when the Mets punted on the season at the trade deadline, which set a positive example for his teammates and should endear Lindor more to some of the team’s more skeptical fans. (Mike Phillips - Nov. 15, 2023)

Nov 2023: Francisco Lindor, Mets (third win) Silver Slugger Award NL Shortstop.

It took a little while for Lindor to heat up at the plate, but over his final 90 games, he registered a .288/.371/.516 slash line with 19 homers and 54 RBIs. He finished with 31 home runs and a career-high 31 steals, becoming one of just six shortstops to go 30-30.

Nov. 2023: Francisco came through this month on a deal he made with Jeff McNeil in 2022. When the red-hot McNeil was batting .348 toward the end of the season, Lindor told McNeil he would buy him a car if he won the National League batting title. McNeil went on to do just that in 2022, finishing the season with a .326 average, only one percentage point over Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers. (Alexis Farinacci | Nov 20, 2023)

Nov. 2023: Lindor was named the 2023 Players Trust Philanthropist of the Year by the MLBPA.

Dec 10, 2023:  Every year from February to October, Francisco Lindor receives major support from his wife, Katia, while he performs his passion. Now that it’s the offseason, the Mets star finally has a chance to return the favor.

One of those opportunities came when Katia partnered with Players for the Planet and Puerto Rico-based Rescate Playas Borinque, a community initiative dedicated to the restoration and protection of natural resources and open-air recreation areas on the island, for a cleanup event of Wilderness Beach. It’s a place that holds a special meaning for Katia, who grew up about 15 minutes away in Aguadilla.

“For me, this is an important moment,” Lindor said. “Katia has always enjoyed doing this kind of work since she was a kid. She supports me all year, so now I’m here for her as well as Puerto Rico.”

Over 100 volunteers showed up for the event, including around 50 participants from the Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy. Together, they collected trash around the beach and planted approximately 200 trees that will help preserve the coastline from erosion and help achieve biodiversity. Players for the Planet, which was cofounded in 2008 by former big leaguers Chris Dickerson and Jack Cassel, aims to support environmental responsibility and sustainability by launching initiatives across the nation. The organization has worked with MLB on several events in recent years. Earlier, Braves players Travis d’Arnaud and Matt Olson joined Players for the Planet to plant 100 fruit trees in Atlanta.

“Particularly on island nations, I think we got a lot more attention after we started doing a lot of work with Nelson [Cruz] and Robinson [Canó] and Sandy [Alcantara] in the Dominican Republic,” said Dickerson, who was on hand for the event. “One of the world’s prominent issues is plastic pollution. Seeing what’s happening in the Dominican kind of gave us the next level of platform by taking superstars in baseball-rich environments where it’s the pinnacle of sports. Having the opportunity to come here, it’s no different.”

Puerto Rico’s pollution issue intensified in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, with increased amounts of trash and waste ending up in landfills. To help amplify the effort to bring awareness, Lindor was joined by fellow countrymen Javier Baéz and José Berríos, who hosted a charity softball game and home run derby that featured all three players about two hours away in Carolina.  

“I started the organization believing in strength in numbers and getting athletes from all sports,” Dickerson said. “When you get guys like Francisco, José and Javier, the superstar names, those are who the kids look up to and listen to. There was a recent study that athletes are probably the most influential people on that planet right now. So having them come out and just understand what we’re doing and why it’s important to show up speaks volumes.  “When you have that platform and awareness, more people are likely to get interested and do their part. Even if it’s just coming out to say hi but [understanding] what we’re trying to do, that’s really all you can ask for. The biggest thing is education and to understand how we can make a difference. You don’t have to be a professional athlete. If everybody is taking an individual responsibility, we’d all be in a much better situation.”

Between the environmental cause being a passion for his wife and taking place on his home island, Lindor takes pride in using his platform as a superstar to advocate.

“I always have in my mind that while it is good to have, it’s better to give,” Lindor said. “My wife has been working on this along with Players for the Planet and Rescate Playas Borinque. We’re planting something that will give life. One small grain today, and we hope that in the coming years, they will grow much bigger.” (M Gallegos - MLB.com - Dec 10, 2023)

July 8, 2024: Lindor is the first player in Mets history to record 25 doubles, 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases prior to the All-Star break.

July 24, 2024:  Francisco always has a smile on his face, and the dugout moment he shared with his daughters at Yankee Stadium will put one on yours.

After Lindor homered for the first time in the fifth inning of the Mets' big 12-3 Subway Series victory over the Yankees -- and after completing his dugout celebration with the OMG sign -- Lindor delivered some gum to his daughter in the stands. Kalina Lindor was awaiting her dad's special delivery at the edge of the dugout with a tiny helmet in hand and, like father like daughter, a huge smile on her face.  

"They've been [sitting near the on-deck circle] before, but this one was way closer because she's right next to the dugout," Lindor said. "It was cool. I was happy to have my girls there."  

Kalina already has an adorable place in Mets lore as a big fan of former Mets manager Buck Showalter. At a press conference in 2022, she sounded out "Buck" while sitting on her dad's lap, and then was fired up to see the skipper win Manager of the Year a few months later.  Lindor's wife, Katia, and daughters Kalina and Amapola are frequent visitors at Mets games, and they got to see the star shortstop rule the night across town in the Bronx. Lindor homered for a second time as part of a six-run eighth inning, his second multihomer game since the All-Star break to run his season total to 21 dingers.

After that clout from the right side of the plate, the ESPN cameras again found his family in the stands and caught Kalina in the middle of a "Let's Go Mets" chant.

"[Kalina] loved it. She was talking the whole entire time. At one point, I was like, 'Baby girl, you've got to pay attention to the game. Daddy's got to work.' But she's at an age where she's amazing. Amapola as well. They're at an age where they're living their best life. And so am I." (A DiComo - MLB.com - July 24, 2024)

Aug. 21, 2024: Lindor clinched his second consecutive season with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases—the third time in his 10-year major league career, the first of which came with Cleveland in 2018. 

Just how rare is it for a shortstop to achieve three 25/25 seasons? According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Lindor is the first qualified shortstop in MLB history to do so. 

Aug 26, 2024: Lindor was named NL Player of the Week. 

If it’s possible for a superstar to be underrated in New York, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor fits the bill. Perhaps Lindor’s $341 million extension, the third-largest in major-league history when he signed it in April 2021 and still the sixth largest, raised expectations for him to an unrealistic level. 

Lindor, 30, is enjoying his finest season with the Mets, and based on his OPS-plus, which through Wednesday was 33 percent above league average, the finest offensive season of his career.

His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) leads the National League in Fangraphs’ version of the metric, and ranks third behind Shohei Ohtani and Ketel Marte in Baseball Reference’s version. With less than a month left in the season, Ohtani is the favorite for NL Most Valuable Player. But Lindor, who has never finished higher than fifth in an MVP vote, should at least be top three. Q & A with Francisco...

Q: How important is it for you to play 162? Is that a big deal to you?

A: Yes. Ah, let me rephrase it. Posting up every day is important to me. Being available every day is important to me. Is it a dream of mine, or a goal, to play 162? If I play it, that means I was ready to play every single day and was available to play every single day. And God gave me the blessing to be available and ready to play every single day. 

Q: Carlos Mendoza has said you’re underappreciated. Do you feel that way?

A: I feel like people appreciate me a lot, especially my family and my teammates here. I’m not looking around the league and saying, ‘This team doesn’t appreciate me, these players don’t appreciate me.’

Q: Fans?

A: Fans, I think they appreciate me. It’s just in New York, if I don’t give them something to cheer, they’re going to boo me. That’s part of it, part of being in New York. I appreciate Mendy going out there and saying things like that. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like he’s backing me up, and that’s kind of what I want from a manager. But to be quite honest, I feel the love from the people. I’m always gravitating toward love. And I feel very loved. 

Q: You were a leader in Cleveland, even as a rookie. Have you changed as a leader? How have you evolved?

A: More vocal. That’s probably the only thing I’ve done different. I’ve learned over the years that with certain groups, certain teams, I’ve got to be the vocal one. I’ve got to be like, “Hey, this team needs somebody to be talking a little bit more. This team needs someone who is going to be more like, ‘How are you doing today? How are you feeling? You don’t look right. Are you OK?’ Or, ‘You look fantastic. Keep it up.’” This team needed that. And that’s what I’ve done. That’s how I’ve evolved. 

Q: Your charity work. A lot of it is education-based. (Lindor, among other things, contributed $1 million to his alma mater, Montverde (Fla.) Academy, to fund and help develop a two-story middle-school building and establish a scholarship fund). Why is that?

A: I have been educated my whole entire life, whether it’s through my parents, through my coaches, through my agent, through teachers, through a lot of people. 

There are so many people in my life who have been influential.

I call it education. I call it knowledge. And for me, that’s the most important thing. For me right now, besides going and talking to kids, being able to give back for kids to be educated through a school system, that’s a dream. I believe the world is going to be in a better spot the more knowledge we have. Knowledge starts at home, and then in school. And then you start meeting people throughout life that help you continue to grow. I didn’t go to college. My college was the minor leagues, and talking to everybody. 

Q: One of your programs involves dental hygiene (Lindor this season launched Smile Tuesdays. On one Tuesday each month, he invites 12 youth from local community organizations to Citi Field where he shares his personal story about his childhood insecurities with his teeth). You’re Mr. Smile! Did you not have good teeth when you were younger?

A: I had the same set of teeth I have now. It’s just that I needed braces. I didn’t take that much pride in them. I always was a happy kid, but I didn’t want to smile in pictures. I was always a little serious because of my teeth, ever since I got my braces.

Then my teeth became good because they were aligned. I couldn’t stop smiling. I couldn’t stop showing them off. Smiling has gotten me to a lot of different places. So for me, being able to educate the kids, give ‘em toothbrushes and toothpaste, have them talk to dentists and orthodontists, it can only bring awareness to those kids that their teeth are not bad. We all have beautiful teeth. It’s just a matter of them being aligned. Don’t let that affect the way you live life.

Q: You are expected to be the Mets’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, on and off the field. As a native of Puerto Rico, what would it mean for you to win that award?

A: My God. That would be amazing. It would be an honor, a privilege, a dream for sure. That’s what I’ve learned since I was 5, 6, 7, 8 years old going to school. In social studies, we talked about Clemente. In health class, we talked about Clemente. In our house, we talked about Clemente. In baseball, every field you went to, Clemente’s number was somewhere. To me, it would be an honor to win something that prestigious. (Rosenthal - Aug 30, 2024 - The Athletic)

TRANSACTIONS

June 2011: The Indians chose Lindor with their first round pick in the draft (#8 overall), out of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. And they signed him for a $2.9 million bonus just before the August 15 deadline. Mike Soper is the scout who signed Francisco.

Jan 11, 2019: Lindor and the Indians avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal for $10.5 million.

Jan 10, 2020: Lindor avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $17.5 million deal, along with award incentives. It's the second-highest contract for a second-time arbitration-eligible player. Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has the record for $20 million, which he received in 2019.

Jan 7, 2021: The Indians traded SS Francisco Lindor and RHP Carlos Carrasco to the Mets; acquiring SS Andres Gimenez, SS Amed Rosario, RHP Josh Wolf, and OF Isaiah Greene.

Jan 15, 2021: Lindor and the Mets avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $22.3 million.

Lindor is an impressive switch-hitter. He displays decent power for such a wiry body. He hits hard line drives, barreling the ball well from both sides of the plate from a smooth, compact stroke. He has more pop from the right side. 

He has a well above-average knowledge of the strike zone. He is a true table-setter with the patience to work the count. His overall batting skills rate him as a plus or even a plus-plus hitter—a 65 on the 20-80 scale.

Francisco has superb bat speed, allowing him to drive the ball to all parts of the park from either side of the plate. His is a compact swing from both sides of the plate.

You can see a little Robinson Cano in him at the plate. Look at the stance, the way he holds the bat and the ease of his swing. He has a quiet, simple approach in the batter's box.

Lindor knows how to work counts, displaying solid pitch recognition skills. He has a nice two-strike philosophy and an uncanny feel for the strike zone. But he is continuing to work on plate discipline. In his effort to help the team win, he gets a bit too aggressive and chases balls out of the zone.

Yes, in 2014, he would at times get caught up in trying to pull the ball, but for the most part he shows an understanding of how pitchers want to attack him and what pitches he can drive.

He can hit for average from both sides of the plate. He has been switch-hitting since he was 13 years old.

If he had a weakness, it was a tendency to overswing when hitting from his less-natural left side. But he rarely chases a bad pitch and almost never gives away an at-bat.

Francisco is as comfortable going the other way with sliders on the outside half, as he was turning on 95 mph heaters when pitchers try to bust him in on the hands. As a scout pointed out, there are a lot of hitters who never develop that skill to control both the inner and outer half of the plate. (May 2013)

Though he is still polishing the small-ball aspects of his game, such as bunting and stealing, he’s an intelligent player with an advanced feel for the game.

Lindor consistently has quality at-bats. His swing is compact, and he barrels the ball into the gaps from both sides of the plate. He's going to hit for a high average because he does such a good job of taking what a pitcher gives him and turns it around.

“Francisco has a vision for himself that he works day in and day out to reach,” assistant farm director Carter Hawkins said after the 2014 season. “He’s 20, but he approaches his work and career with a veteran’s focus. When you see him go about his business for an extended period of time, it’s clear why he’s been able to have so much success.  “He’s knocking on the door to Cleveland but is more focused on what he can do to get better each day.”

Evaluators do not agree on Lindor’s offensive ceiling, especially his potential for power. The switch-hitter is at his best when he lets his natural abilities work and sprays line drives to all parts of the park. (Spring 2014)

2014 season: Francisco hit .276/.338/.389 with 31 extra-base hits and 28 stolen bases in 126 games between stops at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.

September 23, 2017: Lindor hit his 33rd home run of the season, giving him the most in a single season by a middle infielder in franchise history. The previous mark of 32 was set by Hall of Famer Joe Gordon in 1948, when the Indians last won the World Series. 

In 2017, Lindor won his first Silver Slugger Award.

April 22, 2018:  Lindor recorded his 500th career hit.

Sept. 7, 2018: Lindor posted the sixth 30-homer, 40-double season by a shortstop in Major League history (minimum 75 percent of games played at SS). Oh by the way, it was the second straight year he had done so, making him the first shortstop ever to do it twice. The others? Miguel Tejada, Nomar Garciaparra, Alex Rodriguez, and Cal Ripken.

In 2018, Lindor won his second Silver Slugger Award.

April 26, 2019: Francisco added another milestone to his resume, launching his 100th and 101st career home runs. He became the third-youngest player to reach the milestone in Indians history (25 years, 163 days), trailing Hal Trosky (23 years, 307 days) and Manny Ramirez (25 years, 70 days).

September 10, 2019: Francisco hit a solo home run, and he joined some rare company. That home run was the 25-year-old’s 30th of the year, making him just the second shortstop in Major League history with three or more seasons of 30-plus homers before the age of 26. Alex Rodriguez is the only other player to accomplish that feat.

“It’s a blessing, it’s an honor,” Lindor said. “I’m blessed to be healthy. I thank the Lord for being healthy on a daily basis, to be able to compete. I owe it to the group of guys that’s around me on a daily basis. They have helped me a lot to be a good hitter.”  (Wexler - mlb.com)

TRADED TO THE METS

2020 Season: Lindor, 27, is a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove Award winner. And, as Mets president Sandy Alderson put it, “really one of the great players in Major League Baseball.” 

Jan 11, 2021: “I’m excited to be with the Mets,” Lindor said. “I’m not against a long-term commitment. It just has to make sense for both sides. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited. Just like every fan out there, I’m extremely excited for this new chapter.”

Nicknamed “Mr. Smile,” Lindor hit .288/.347/.493 over his first five seasons, with four All-Star appearances. (A DeComo - MLB.com - Jan 11, 2021)

Jan 11, 2021: Lindor ends his career in Cleveland with a .285/.346/.488 slash line as well as 138 homers, 411 RBIs and 99 stolen bases. From 2016-2019, he won two AL Silver Slugger Awards and two AL Gold Glove Awards, while hitting .284 with an .841 OPS. He helped the Indians dominate the AL Central from 2016-2018, including a .310 average and an .820 OPS in the 2016 postseason that went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. But he never reached his ultimate goal of winning a World Series.

“It hurts every time we lost in the playoffs,” Lindor said. “I still can’t watch the World Series of 2016. It hurts, and it hurts losing. I want to win. The day I win is the day I’ll start watching all my losses.”

First 21 games:   .212/.264/.353Last 39 games:  .285/.371/.450

Those seeking to rationalize the Lindor trade for anything other than financial reasons point to his decline in performance in 2020. In reality, the dynamic shortstop had a slow three-week start before resuming his typical excellence. He notched 15 of his 21 extra-base hits in his final 39 games while posting nearly as many walks (20) as strikeouts (23). (Kyle Glaser - Baseball America - April, 2021)

June 27, 2023: Lindor becomes just the 10th shortstop in MLB history with 75% of his games played at the position to hit 200 career home runs, a list that is topped by Cal Ripken Jr. and his 431 round-trippers.

Nov. 2023: Silver Slugger Award winner. It took a little while for Lindor to heat up at the plate, but over his final 90 games, he registered a .288/.371/.516 slash line with 19 homers and 54 RBIs. He finished with 31 home runs and a career-high 31 steals, becoming one of just six shortstops to go 30-30.

Francisco is a flashy defender—one of the top defensive shortstops in the minors in 2013 and 2014. His style is similar to that of Jose Reyes or even former Indians great Omar Vizquel. He has outstanding lateral range and impressive playmaking ability and instincts. Those tremendous instincts enhance his range to both his left and right.

He was definitely one of the best defensive shortstops in the minors in 2014 and 2015 too, with a 70 grade on the scouting scale. What got him to this point is his work ethic and focus combined with his talents.

Lindor is exceptionally quick and fast. He has smooth, fluid fielding actions. He plays shortstop with ease, skill and grace. With his polish, he makes hard plays look really easy.

Francisco has a strong and accurate arm. And his hands are very impressive. He gets great reads off the bat and shows a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Lindor has incredible instincts for the game, allowing him to be in the right place at the right time. The precise angles he takes to the ball allow his arm to appear stronger than it actually is.

"He has unbelievable skills," Fort Wayne manager Jose Valentin, a big league shortstop for 16 seasons, said in 2012. "It's so impressive how he approaches the game. He plays like he's been in the big leagues for 20 years. He knows how to position himself and he's always in the right spot. It's fun to watch him."

Observers rave about every aspect of his play at shortstop: range, hands, arm, reliability, positioning, and instincts. 

His game-awareness and communication are impressive. You always hear him talking on the field.

Former Indians third baseman Travis Fryman, now a special assistant in the organization, shared the basics of turning a ground ball into an out with Lindor:

• Before the pitch is thrown, keep your feet moving.
• After the ball is struck, work your way toward it.
• When the ball nears, field it in the middle of a set stance.

"Then bring it back to my core," Lindor finishes, "and the rest is history. Fryman hasn't really changed me. Not moving my glove too much, bringing the ball back to my core. Nothing major, one or two tweaks. He's got this quote he likes to say, 'Little things take care of themselves over the course of a long season.'" (April 2013)

Lindor has an advanced feel for anticipating plays. He slows the game down and always plays under control. He has eliminated any defensive lapses. (August 2015)

GOLD GLOVES

In 2016, Indians shortstop Lindor won his first Gold Glove award.

In 2019, Lindor won the Gold Glove for SS in the AL for the second time.

Mike Sarbaugh can see it in Francisco's infield work each morning. When a baseball shoots off the fungo bat of the Indians' third-base coach, Lindor is attacking each ground ball with a heightened level of aggressiveness in the spring of 2018.

"He's on a mission," Sarbaugh said.

Lindor has already established himself as one of the best all-around shortstops in baseball, but he has hardly become complacent. In 2017, Lindor took a big step forward as an offensive threat, but he was not satisfied with how he played defensively. Defense has been the shortstop's calling card since his youth, and he has once again made that aspect of his game a priority.

Not much changes in terms of Lindor's routine over the winter, with the exception of an increased attention to defensive detail. As much as Lindor enjoys setting the tone as Cleveland's leadoff hitter, he also wants to set the standard for the team's play in the field. "It's just to be more aware that you cannot take any ground balls for granted," Lindor said. 

"He is locked in 100 percent. It's really fun to watch," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "There's been a couple games just out here where, if it wasn't for him, we're looking at a full-fledged rally as opposed to nobody on and two out. It's happened two or three times. That is such an advantage.

"I know he wanted to tighten up [his defense]," he added later. "I think he felt like it got a little loose at times last year. He really wants to take care of that. And when he puts his mind to it, I don't doubt he'll do it."

Sarbaugh, who doubles as the Indians' infield instructor, has been pleased with Lindor's work behind the scenes, too.

"That's the mind-set he's come into this year with, of being aggressive," Sarbaugh said. "Even his work. His work is unbelievable, especially initially. He's trying to set a tone for himself. He's been great. It sets the tone for everybody else. It makes my job easier."  (Bastian - mlb.com - 3/14/18)

Ask Lindor who is the best shortstop and you get honesty, not diplomacy.

“Overall? Me,” he says. “Because I will do it every single day. I count on myself every single day. Every single day. Trevor Story? I love watching him. We talk hitting and defense. The best hands at the shortstop position right now are Freddy Galvis and Andrelton Simmons. Best hitter? When Seager is at his level, I think he’s the best hitter.

“If we go tool by tool, plenty of them are better than me. Tatis? He’s incredible. And Báez? I’ve been playing against Báez since I was growing up and it’s like, ‘Bro, how are you doing this?’

“There’s that fine balance between being confident and being cocky. Sometimes for me it’s hard to admit to myself who is the best shortstop. Why? Because of that fine balance. I’m confident. I think I’m the best shortstop.”

Lindor admits he may have the weakest arm of the elite shortstops, but he plays one of the deepest shortstops because he is so quick. In 2020, he played four to six feet deeper than Rosario, who was included in the six-player trade to get Lindor.

He also has an uncanny knack for reading pitchers’ stuff and hitters’ mechanics. For instance, he talked about how a tiny front-shoulder movement of Royals catcher Salvador Pérez on certain pitches gives away where he is going to hit the ball.

“That’s how I go with my defense,” Lindor says. “I watch mechanics and swing path and understanding my pitcher.”

Those ubiquitous laminated cards teams use to tell fielders where to position themselves? Lindor has no use for them.

“Hell no!” he says. “No. No. No. I think I’m smart enough to remember 9 hitters and 10 pitchers. And nothing against the people who use them. But I’m going to rely more on my instincts than a card. And they’re pretty accurate.”

Lindor has no use for defensive shifts, either. Since he debuted in 2015, the use of shifts has more than tripled—from 10% of pitches to 35% in 2020. In that time, the batting average on balls in play facing a shift and facing a standard defense went from a 17-point reduction to a 28-point reduction. If it were up to Lindor, a team could not station more than two infielders on either side of second base.

“The shift has got to be cut down,” he says. “Let me do me. Let me make the crazy play. Let me be like, ‘O.K., he’s going to pull the ball. I can’t be on that side of the base.’ So as the pitch goes, I run on the other side of the base—pow!—and make the play.” (Tom Verducci - Sports Illustrated - April 2021)

June 14, 2015: Every player remembers his first Major League hit. In Lindor's case, all of his Cleveland teammates will remember his, too.

Lindor pulled a pitch deep into right field for what looked like a sure double. Lindor sprinted hard up the first-base line and lost his footing when he stepped on the bag, causing him to flop to the dirt before retreating for a single.

August 27-end of 2013 season: Cleveland shut Lindor down due to a nagging lower back injury, which had kept him sidelined for the previous three weeks. The Indians believe that rest, not surgery, is all that the 19-year-old requires for recovery.

July 2014: Francisco broke his nose while fielding a ground ball that took a bad hop.

Feb 9, 2019: Lindor suffered a moderate calf strain and was expected to be back in 7–9 weeks.

March 25-April 20, 2019: Lindor was on the IL with ankle sprain and right calf strain. Lindor sustained an acute left ankle sprain.  

July 14-Aug 24, 2021: Lindor exited the game against the Pirates with right side soreness. The star shortstop grounded out in the top of the fifth inning, wincing after he swung the bat and not fully running to first base. He was placed on the IL with right rotator cuff strain.

July 26, 2021: Tests revealed a Grade 2 right oblique strain for Lindor.

June 3, 2022: A day after missing the Mets’ series opener against the Dodgers, and two days after slamming his right middle finger in a hotel room door, Lindor returned to the lineup. Lindor tested out his lightly bandaged finger with a game of catch earlier in the afternoon, and the Mets came away confident enough to use him in the field.