Mets' Franchise Cornerstone a Key Factor Behind Recent Winning Ways

The Mets' winning streak has coincided with a superstar finding his groove.

Jun 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets' seven-game winning streak has been the result of a true team effort.

Amid the Grimace craze, the return of Francisco Alvarez, and the unstoppable tear of J.D. Martinez, the Mets are getting contributions from everybody as they surge into the NL Wild Card race. This includes their biggest star, who is quietly playing at his usual outstanding level.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor's numbers are deceiving; he's hitting .238/.309/.424 on the season with 12 home runs, 37 RBI, 46 runs scored, and a 112 wRC+. While those stats may not look like a superstar's production, most of those numbers have been bogged down by a extremely sluggish start to the year.

Since the calendar flipped to June, Lindor is reminding everyone why he's the Mets' franchise shortstop. Over the past 17 games (starting on May 30), "Mr. Smile" has a .328/.403/.597 slash line with 10 extra-base hits, 11 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a 184 wRC+. He's reached base at least once in 12 of those games, has multiple hits in seven contests, and recorded a pair of four-hit performances, including one against the Texas Rangers on Monday. Coupled with his usual outstanding defense, Lindor leads the team with 2.6 fWAR.

Francisco Lindor rips an RBI double to make it 10-2!

He's 4-for-4, his 3rd 4-hit game of the season! pic.twitter.com/GwZH4toCIK

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 18, 2024

This stretch of excellent play by Lindor has coincided with the Mets' recent success; since May 30, New York has gone 4-0-2 in six series and have a 13-4 record. Of course, this also includes the currently-ongoing seven-game winning streak. Thanks to the combined efforts of Lindor and the rest of the team, the Mets are only two games below .500 and a half-game out of the last Wild Card spot in the National League.

There are many other factors at play behind the Mets' tear, but it's time to recognize Lindor as one of those driving forces; he's one of the best players in baseball, and that shouldn't be forgotten.