In almost any other year, Francisco Lindor’s 2024 campaign would have earned him his first MVP Award. If Shohei Ohtani was still playing in the American League, the award would have been Lindor’s to lose.
But Lindor came in second in NL MVP voting, with Ohtani being named the winner Thursday night simply because the Los Angeles Dodgers DH is in a class of his own. There is no unicorn award for baseball’s unicorn, so the rest of the mortals have to compete with him. So look at Lindor’s second-place finish this way: He was the MVP among everyone not named Shohei Ohtani.
The award is voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and voting is conducted before the start of the playoffs, so postseason performances were not a factor. Ohtani was a unanimous winner despite having not played a single inning in the field last season. He received 30 first-place votes to total 420 points.
Lindor received 23 second-place votes and seven third-place votes, totaling 263 points. Ketel Marte finished third with five second-place votes and 13 third-place votes for 229 points.
A second-place finish for the Mets team leader might be disappointing to fans, but it shouldn’t be. It should be celebrated. Lindor had a tremendous season, cementing himself in the MVP conversation by carrying the Mets to a playoff berth, turning around his own season and sparking the team’s turnaround as well.
After hitting less than .200 in May, Lindor hit nearly .300 in June and posted an OPS of nearly 1.000 in September when the Mets were fighting to get into the playoffs.
Imagine what the last month would have looked like had he not missed time with a back injury.
Oddly enough, it was that injury that might have taken him out of the running for the MVP Award. Ohtani was already cruising toward the first 50-50 season in history and was the heavy favorite to win all season. Lindor presented a different argument as an elite player playing a premium position.
The shortstop consistently rates among the best in the league defensively and that was no different in 2024. His +16 Outs Above Average was the second-highest among all shortstops and the sixth-best among all qualified defenders in baseball last season. The 12 runs Lindor prevented were more than all but one shortstop (Dansby Swanson prevented 14) and if he had his way, he would have played all 162 games.
But playing 162 games isn’t a selfish goal. For Lindor, it’s about setting an example as a leader and “posting up.” The best ability is availability and Lindor takes pride in playing every day because it shows his team that he’s there for them.
Ohtani won because among other things, he hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases. Unable to pitch, he still contributed at a prolific rate. He added baserunning as a new skill in his age-30 season, having not swiped more than 26 in another season.
But Lindor did everything, especially in wins. He had an OPS over 1.000 in wins and 29 of his 33 home runs came in winning contests. Without Lindor, the Mets don’t make the postseason.
At 30, Lindor slashed .273/.344/.500 with 33 home runs, 91 RBI, 29 stolen bases and 56 walks. Moving him up to the leadoff spot was one of the best decisions the Mets made all season.
Trading for Lindor and subsequently signing him to a 10-year contract was arguably the best decision the Mets have made in the Steve Cohen era. It sets the Mets up for success for years to come because as long as Lindor is in Queens the Mets have a leader on the field at one of the most important positions and in the clubhouse.
That’s what matters the most to Lindor. The individual awards are nice and he was honored to be a finalist. But every time Lindor was asked about the MVP Award, he turned the attention back to the team. His priority is helping the Mets win a World Series. He nearly did that this year and his second-place finish shows just how impactful he actually was in 2024.