Francisco Lindor’s All-Star Drought Ends

Francisco Lindor has finally made the All-Star team, even if his performance hasn’t been the best lately.

Last year, Lindor was overlooked despite putting up solid stats, which was frustrating for many fans.

This time, there are arguments for Reds shortstop Ellie de la Cruz to be selected, though he wasn’t even among the finalists. That honor went to Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.

It’s an interesting turn of events for Lindor, marking his first trip to the All-Star game since 2019 when he played for the Guardians (previously the Indians). He also scores his first start in this year’s game.

The last Mets shortstop to start in the Midsummer Classic was Jose Reyes, back in 2007—though Reyes did earn another starter spot in 2011, he had to sit out due to injuries.

Meanwhile, Lindor is currently in a serious slump, having 60 strikeouts since June 15. It’s no surprise that the Mets have had a rough stretch, losing 14 out of their last 17 games, particularly evident during Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Lindor has a .255 average with a .324 on-base percentage and .442 slugging, totaling 15 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 13 steals. Yet, his performance has noticeably declined in recent weeks.

In an effort to shake things up, manager Carlos Mendoza made a strategic change by moving Lindor to the second spot in the batting order on Wednesday, assigning Brandon Nimmo to lead off instead.

Interestingly, Lindor was the only Mets player voted in by fans. Pete Alonso came up short, finishing behind Dodgers stars Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto. There’s a possibility that both Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz could be named as reserves come Sunday.