Mets' Slugger Projected To Have All-Star Caliber Campaign

Which slugger from the New York Mets could have an All-Star caliber campaign?

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The New York Mets are continuing to roll through spring training and prepare for the start of the regular season. Following an offseason that saw a ton of change, the team will be hoping that one of their leaders continues to perform well.

After a brutal second half of the year in 2025, it became very clear that the Mets were going to shake things up this winter. That was certainly the case this offseason, and their roster looks very different for the most part.

In the lineup, some long-time fan favorites like Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo will be playing elsewhere. Furthermore, Edwin Diaz also won’t be closing out games for New York anymore. Despite losing players of this caliber, the Mets were aggressive in their pursuit of new talent to help replace departing stars.

However, while the team will be expecting a lot from Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta, and Devin Williams, to name a few, they will expect some returning stars to contribute as well. Even though the 2025 season might not have gone according to plan, some players still enjoyed great years.

One of those players was star shortstop Francisco Lindor. Now, he will be trying to keep up what has been a great stretch the last several years with the Mets.

Francisco Lindor Projected to Have All-Star Caliber Campaign

New York Mets infielder Francisco Lindor | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Even though he has yet to play this spring because of injury, the hope is that Lindor won’t miss too much time in meaningful games after undergoing surgery to repair the hamate bone in his right hand.

Fortunately, his timeline for recovery is right around Opening Day, and that would be good news for the Mets. While he might need some time to knock off the rust and prepare for the campaign, it does not appear that he will be missing a significant amount of time.

In FanGraphs' projections for the upcoming season, Lindor is expected to play in 146 games and perform at an All-Star caliber level. The talented shortstop is projected to slash .261/.337/.452 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI.

For the last few years, Lindor has been playing at a really high level for the Mets, and those 2026 projections are in line for another All-Star caliber campaign. Last season, he slashed .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI; he also swiped 31 bases, marking the second 30-30 season of his career.

While recovering from his injury will be key, a healthy Lindor is still one of the best shortstops in baseball. Overall, expect another strong campaign for the talented slugger for New York.

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