Mets' Francisco Lindor named finalist for NL MVP; Carlos Mendoza up for Manager of the Year

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Nov 11, 2024

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor heard chants of “MVP” in nearly every ballpark the Mets played in over the second half of the 2024 season. The shortstop is getting some recognition for the way he carried the Mets into the postseason as a finalist for the NL MVP Award.

The league announced the finalists for the major awards Monday with Lindor being named one three finalists for NL MVP, along with Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks). Carlos Mendoza was named a finalist for NL Manager of the Year, along with Mike Shildt (San Diego Padres) and Pat Murphy (Milwaukee Brewers).

Mendoza was a rookie manager in 2024 after working as Aaron Boone’s bench coach in the Bronx, but he didn’t always manage like a rookie. The skipper guided the Mets to an 89-73 record and a trip to the playoffs in his first season in the dugout. The former infielder from Venezuela who will be 45 later this month oversaw a tremendous turnaround. The Mets were 11 games under .500 in May and had the best record in baseball from June 1 through the end of the regular season.

Mendoza was praised by players and executives for his ability to take chances and remain accountable for them. The clubhouse respected him as an authority figure and backed his decisions, but also embraced him as one of their own. Mendoza was described as “one of the guys” but managed to toe that line effectively, still remaining revered for his professionalism.

Buck Showalter was the last Mets manager to win the award, doing so in 2022.

The odds-on favorite to win the MVP is Ohtani, who became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Ohtani, who recently won his first World Series, has won two MVP Awards in the AL (2021 and 2021) and came in second place for the award in 2022.

The Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP Awards are considered regular-season awards. All four are voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and will be announced Nov. 21.

Despite playing in the largest market in the league, teammates and coaches have been unhappy with what they perceive to be a lack of attention for Lindor. The team leader was snubbed for the second year in a row for the All-Star Game because of a slow start to the season. But he more than made up for it starting in June.

Lindor, who will be 31 on Thursday, finished the season hitting .273 with an .844 OPS and 33 home runs. He was one stolen base shy of a second straight 30-30 season and likely would have reached the mark again had it not been for a late-season back injury. Of his 33 home runs, 26 came after he was moved to the leadoff spot, tying him with Curtis Granderson for the most in Mets’ history hit by a leadoff hitter.

In the second half, Lindor slashed .306/.368/.575 helping fuel the Mets to a wild-card berth, punctuated by a historic homer in Game 161 in Atlanta. With the Mets playing a doubleheader against the Braves a day after the regular season ended, Lindor hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the ninth inning of the first game. It clinched a playoff spot for the Mets in a game that became an instant classic.

Defensively, his +16 Outs Above Average was the sixth-best in baseball and the second-best among all shortstops, two behind Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs.

Lindor’s 7.8 fWAR was the sixth-best in all of baseball last season and the second-best mark in the NL. Only Ohtani’s was higher (9.1).

However, Ohtani only played DH, unable to pitch after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery the year prior. There is an argument to be made for whether or not a player who only plays on one side of the ball can be a team’s most valuable player, but Ohtani is a different case. Lindor undoubtedly received votes because of his contributions at the plate, but also because of the elite defense he provided.

While Lindor has received accolades such as Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards, none have come since he was traded to the Mets prior to the 2021 season. Lindor was snubbed for a Gold Glove this year as well, calling into question the voting process. The award, presented by Rawlings, is voted on by managers and coaches of each team.

While Lindor has received MVP votes nearly every year since 2015, his rookie season with Cleveland, he’s never finished higher than fifth. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

Lindor might have turned in one of the best seasons in Mets history, but Ohtani turned in one of the best seasons in baseball history. However, that shouldn’t discount anything he did to help the Mets reach the playoffs. They wouldn’t have made it there without him and they wouldn’t have made it to within two games of the World Series without him.

Lindor might not win the NL MVP Award, but if you ask the Mets, he’s their MVP.