The New York Mets were just three outs away from being no-hit by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon when star shortstop Francisco Lindor smashed a game-tying solo home run, sparking a six-run rally in the ninth inning that led to a 6-2 victory.
After the game, Mets’ first-year manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters he would vote for Lindor, rather than Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to win the National League MVP for this season.
“MVP,” Mendoza said of Lindor, as reported by John Flanigan of SNY. “On a night where we were close to being no-hit, for him to step up with that at-bat and deliver in a crucial moment, it energized us. He’s a special player, a special person, and, as I said, an MVP.”
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Ohtani as the heavy favorite at -900 to win the NL MVP over Lindor, who sits at +500. This is understandable given Ohtani’s historic pace to become the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, as noted by Juan Toribio of MLB.com.
Still, Lindor’s impact on and off the field has been heavily discussed during the summer for a Mets team that had a 22-33 record as of May 29. Thanks in large part to Lindor’s home run, the 80-66 Mets entered Thursday with a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the final NL wild-card spot.
“Once Lindor hit that home run, you could feel the momentum shift,” Mendoza said, per Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. “It was palpable.”
Lindor has been the behind-the-scenes leader the Mets needed during their early season struggles, and some argue the 30-year-old is the league’s best overall player, especially since Ohtani is serving as a designated hitter this year. Lindor finished Wednesday leading the NL in FanGraphs’ WAR at 7.4.
Although the 87-59 Dodgers’ likely NL West title could secure the MVP for Ohtani in the eyes of voters, if Lindor can carry the Mets into the playoffs, it might influence how some view this year’s MVP race.
