Since the beginning of the shortened MLB season, New York Mets fans and fantasy baseball owners alike have grown increasingly concerned with Francisco Lindor’s slow start. To this point, he is hitting a .182/.297/.234 line to go with one home run across 92 plate appearances.
A deeper look into the analytics show a clear regression in Lindor’s play. His 95 wRC+ is a 24-point drop from what he had coming into the new season. Between the 2015-19 seasons, Lindor contained an 8 percent walk rate and a 14 percent strikeout rate. This season, however, those figures have altered to a 10 percent walk rate and 14.8 percent strikeout rate.
| Stat | 2015-19 | 2020-21 |
| K% | 14.0% | 14.8% |
| BB% | 8.0% | 10.0% |
| Hard Hit Rate | 37.4% | 41.1% |
| EV | 89.8 | 89.5 |
| LA | 11.6 | 12 |
| Pull% | 40.2% | 41.5% |
| FB% | 35.8% | 34.9% |
Other analytical figures showcase a decline in contact rate (81.3 percent) and exit velocity (92.8). He is hitting the ball on the ground (52.5 percent) the most in his career since his 2015 rookie season while sitting on a career-low line-drive rate (18 percent).
Despite shining on the defensive end, the Mets paid $341 million for a talent who can perform on both sides of the ball. The 27-year old is currently the highest-paid shortstop in MLB history, but does not appear concerned with the slow start.
“I just hope they cheer and jump on the field when I start hitting home runs and start helping the team on a daily basis a lot more than I’m doing right now.”
The Mets sit with a 10-11 overall record to begin the new season and are currently third in the NL East. The season is still in the early stages, as we await the breakout of Francisco Lindor.
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