New York Mets' Star Listed as Top 3 NL MVP Candidate

Francisco Lindor has placed the New York Mets within striking distance of the NL playoffs.

Aug 7, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets' new king of Queens could be inching closer toward becoming the king of the National League.

The latest MVP power rankings from Bleacher Report placed Lindor third in the NL, behind only divisional rival Marcell Ozuna (Atlanta Braves) and Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers). If anything, Lindor has certainly made a mark of defining the "V" in MVP.

The Mets' fortunes have undoubtedly flipped since the 10th-year man got hot in the late stages of the spring and it has allowed him to linger with the NL's finest despite currently sitting on the outside looking in on the current playoff picture.

"In recent weeks, there has been quite the groundswell of support coming in for Francisco Lindor in this race," list curator Kerry Miller wrote. "Since May 30 ... the Mets have gone 46-30 (now 46-31), with Lindor starting every game at shortstop and batting .310 with 19 home runs and 19 stolen bases. (That's a 162-game pace of a 41/41 season)."

Lindor is no stranger to the MVP discussion, placing as high as fifth in the American League race when he was with the Cleveland Indians in 2017. As it stands, Lindor ranks in the NL's top six in runs (90), hits (146), total bases (264), doubles (35), triples (5), home runs (27), and runs batted in (78).

All that and more hasn't been enough to catapult the Mets in the playoff picture but it has certainly kept them in perpetual striking distance: entering Wednesday night, New York (now 69-64 following an 8-5 loss Wednesday to the Diamondbacks) is four games behind Atlanta for the NL's third and final Wild Card spot.

Lindor now has 29 more regular season games left to boost his MVP credentials and help the Mets crack a postseason berth for the first time since 2022.