PORT ST. LUCIE — On a day that featured two Mets aces due greater than $75 million this season, their $341 million shortstop offered a window into how the workforce’s hitting can sustain with its beginning pitching.
If Francisco Lindor brings this scorching bat into the common season, the Mets’ offense may very well be a drive. In fact, that was the hope this time final 12 months, too.
Lindor loved the most effective sport of his brief Grapefruit League, homering twice — first from the left aspect, then proper — to help Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer within the Mets’ 7-3 win over the Cardinals at Clover Park.
As he completed off a 3-for-4 Sunday afternoon in his fifth exhibition sport, Lindor’s 1.444 OPS represented the third-best mark in main league spring coaching, a stat that's meaningless until it interprets to the common season.
Requested the important thing to retaining his bat scorching into April, Lindor stated: “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Final 12 months, the Mets noticed their prized acquisition from Cleveland bat .370 with 4 house runs although 17 spring video games, solely to right away go chilly when the video games started to matter. He batted .182 in March and April of final season, starting a largely disappointing first marketing campaign after signing a 10-year extension with the Mets.
After a protracted offseason and on a workforce with extra star energy that will take a number of the glare off him, Lindor hopes a bounce-back season is coming.
“I’m very balanced proper now,” stated Lindor, who rocketed a homer to proper off Daniel Hudson and crushed a no-doubter to left towards prime prospect Matthew Liberatore. “I really feel like I’m attending to a spot and placing my physique into hitting place.”
The sensation was current all through the Mets’ lineup for the primary time this spring. Pete Alonso contributed just a few hits, together with a double, Tomas Nido homered and Starling Marte doubled in his spring debut.
The Mets’ high-octane arms have maybe the best ceiling of any workforce in baseball, and their protection and bullpen don't undertaking to be weaknesses. If their offense is above-average, the trail to the postseason could be simple to see.
It's potential nobody is extra essential to the Mets reaching their peak than Lindor, who had been an All-Star in 4 straight years earlier than downturns within the shortened 2020 marketing campaign and final season. Getting his personal bat going from each side of the plate is an efficient begin.
“It’s offense,” stated Lindor, who has tallied 4 extra-base hits in 17 spring at-bats. “We’re going to do some harm if we keep wholesome and keep inside ourselves. It’s going to be enjoyable.”
Post a Comment