Inside The Mets

Mets' Francisco Lindor, Carlos Mendoza Named Finalists for Prestigious Awards

The Mets' shortstop and skipper are both being recognized by the BBWAA. for their outstanding seasons.

Joe Najarian

May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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Awards season is here - and the New York Mets are well-represented.

On Monday, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) revealed the finalists for MLB's major awards in the American and National Leagues; these consist of Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young (best pitcher), and Most Valuable Player, all of which will be announced next week.

The Mets are up for two of these awards, those being NL MVP and Manager of the Year; shortstop Francisco Lindor and first-year skipper Carlos Mendoza were selected as finalists for those respective honors. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and second baseman Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks are the other two NL MVP finalists, while Pat Murphy and Mike Shildt of the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres (respectively) are the other two finalists for NL Manager of the Year.

While Ohtani is the heavy favorite for NL MVP thanks to an unprecedented 54-homer, 58-stolen base season, there is a legitimate case for Lindor to win the award thanks to the incredible impact he had on the Mets. The soon-to-be 31-year-old shortstop overcame a prolonged slump to begin the year, with a .195/.268/.362 slash line in his first 44 games; Lindor proceeded to completely turn his season around when he was moved to the leadoff spot on May 18. Maintaining that spot in the lineup for the rest of the year, he hit .304/.374/.554 from there and finished the season with a .273/.344/.500 slash line, 39 doubles, 33 home runs, 91 RBI, 107 runs scored, 29 stolen bases, and a 137 wRC+.

Along with his red-hot bat, Lindor remained one of the best defenders in all of baseball at a premier position; his 16 outs above average and 12 fielding runs were both the second-best among all shortstops, behind only Dansby Swanson. Overall, Lindor logged a 7.8 fWAR, which was the second-best in the National League (behind only Ohtani) and the sixth-best in the majors.

As for Mendoza, the 44-year-old was hired as manager of the Mets on November 13, 2023, after serving as the New York Yankees' bench coach for six seasons. He not only became the first rookie manager in Mets history to lead his team to the postseason, but the Mets had the best record in the majors from June 1 to the end of the season, going 65-40 (.619 winning percentage).

Mendoza's lineup decisions, such as moving Lindor to the leadoff spot and moving Mark Vientos to the top three in the order, transformed New York's offense into a juggernaut; over that league-best 105-game span, only the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Yankees scored more runs than the Mets, who had 528 runners cross home plate. Finally, Mendoza created possibly the premier clubhouse atmosphere, with the Mets becoming a shining example of comradery and resilience; every player on the team has praised his leadership skills, which are only getting better as he becomes more experienced as a manager.

Despite completing their 63rd season in franchise history, the Mets are one of just three teams in the league (the Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays are the other two) to never have one of their players win league MVP. In sharp contrast, they are looking to claim their second Manager of the Year award in three seasons, as Mendoza's predecessor, Buck Showalter, received the honor in 2022.

The winners of NL Manager of the Year and NL MVP will be announced on November 19 and November 21, respectively, during a live MLB Network broadcast.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian is a Rutgers University graduate from the Class of 2022. After an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News (JSN), covering Rutgers Football, Rutgers Basketball, and Rutgers Baseball, Najarian became a contributing writer on Inside the Pinstripes and Inside the Mets. He additionally writes on Giants Country, FanNation’s site for the New York Giants. Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeNajarian

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