When the Mets traded for and installed Francisco Lindor as the everyday shortstop, ownership and management expected nothing less than he’d be the best shortstop to ever don a New York Met uniform. That’s why Steve Cohen quickly stepped up to sign Lindor for $340 million over 10 seasons.
As it has been documented, Lindor’s first season with the Mets in 2021 remains by far the worst of his nine-year career. He rebounded in 2022 with a terrific season carding a batting average of .270 with 26 home runs, 107 RBI’s and an OPS+ of 125. All this while playing top notch defense. The team in 2022 was good, Lindor was good and Met fans were happy about that, just not with the way the season ended. Last season on a team that fell far short, Lindor just continued his excellent play, hitting .254, 31 home runs, 98 RBI’s and an OPS+ of 120. He played even better defense in 2023 and had legitimate claim to a gold glove which went to Ha-Seong Kim of the Padres.
Since this is to be Lindor’s fourth season with the Mets it’s crazy to rank him the best shortstop in team history. But is it really? The primary contenders do not constitute a very long list.
Bud Harrelson
Jose Reyes
Wait, that’s it? Now’s the moment when Met fans rhapsodize about the stellar defense of Rey Ordonez. Or the pop in Kevin Elster’s bat. Surely, you’re not going to make an argument for Rafael Santana. He only played four meh seasons anyway.
Nope it’s the late, great, Buddy Harrelson and the often-sensational Jose Reyes. Lindor has surpassed all others in Mets history for shortstops already.
Buddy was a hero, or at least my hero
Bud Harrelson was one of my favorite Mets players growing up. It was common knowledge that Harrelson was great with the glove and not so much with the bat. When he played, a light hitting slick fielding shortstop was seemingly the MLB default. There were many good fielding shortstops when Harrelson played including Dave Concepcion, Larry Bowa, and at the end of his career HOFer Ozzie Smith. That Harrelson won a gold glove in 1971 was a nod to his consistency. When it came to hitting, the switch-hitting Harrelson, who had no power from either side, had a career OPS+ of 75 with the Mets. He hit six of his seven career homers with the Mets. He did steal 127 bases in his Mets career which lasted 13 seasons. That’s less than 10 SB per seasons. Harrelson was a fiery great Met, through and through. He was the shortstop on two World Series teams, and later managed the Mets. Harrelson can’t be and isn’t the greatest Met shortstop of all-time.
Jose Reyes smile lights up everything and everyone
When Jose Reyes came up in 2003 Met fans immediately knew that he was the best shortstop the team ever had. Yet he only played 69 games that season. 53 the next in 2004 so his Met career started with Reyes being constantly injured. Beginning in 2005 Reyes did what star players do – he posted. He played in 153 or more games for four straight seasons, was injured in 2009 but came back with two excellent seasons in 2010 and 2011 before being sent to Miami. His return to the Mets in 2016 after stops in Toronto and Colorado, was more nostalgic than effective. Met fans that watched Reyes play every day for the 12 years he was a Met will tell you that watching Jose Reyes run out a triple was one of the most exciting things to see on a baseball field.
Reyes is the all-time team leader in stolen bases with 408. Sporting a Mets career average of .282 an OPS + of 104, Reyes also leads all Met shortstops with 108 home runs and 521 RBIs. He’s the guy for all Met shortstops to chase. Francisco Lindor is in hot pursuit.
Francisco Lindor is already closing fast
In his three seasons with the Mets Francisco Lindor has hit 77 home runs. If Lindor were to hit the same number of homers in 2024 that he had in 2023 (31) he will tie Jose Reyes for the most homers ever hit by a Met shortstop. Lindor has 268 RBIs which is more than half of Reyes’ career total with the team. With 7 years remaining on Lindor’s contract it’s inevitable that Lindor will surpass Reyes in virtually every team batting category for shortstops except for batting average and stolen bases. Lindor is a better overall fielder than Reyes although during Reyes’ tenure with the Mets there were many that felt he was a better fielding shortstop than the now HOFer who played in the Bronx.
Lindor also has an OPS+ of 116 for his Met career and has amassed 14.5 bWAR in his three seasons which is more than half of Reyes’ 28.2 career Met bWAR.
Lindor isn’t the best shortstop in Mets history. Yet. But it won’t be long now.
