PORT ST. LUCIE — Francisco Lindor doesn’t officially hold the title of captain with the Mets. No one has held that title since David Wright’s career ended at the conclusion of the 2018 season. If you ask Lindor, he doesn’t need the formal title.
“The captain thing is not something that’s for me to decide,” Lindor said Saturday at Clover Park during his first spring training press conference. “If it does happen, it’d be fantastic. It would be an honor to be a privilege, and something I’d never take for granted. My name would be next to some of the greats of this organization forever and it’d be very humbling…
“It’s not going to change my job.”
Lindor is not the only player on the field, but in some ways, he is the identity of the Mets. With the help of another key team leader, Brandon Nimmo, as well as other veterans that have come through since Lindor was traded from Cleveland to New York before the 2021 season, the culture in the clubhouse has largely been driven by Lindor.
It’s safe to say that culture is in a good place after the 2024 season. The Mets shocked the baseball world by advancing to Game 6 of the NLCS after clinching a playoff spot one day after the regular season had concluded, and Lindor authored some of the most heroic postseason moments in club history.
But the magic of OMG is behind them. It’s a new season, and while many of the faces are the same, the Mets have to forge a new identity, they need a new rallying cry and maybe even a new postgame victory song. More importantly, they can’t take a step back. Not with superstar outfielder Juan Soto in the lineup and not with a projected payroll of $331 million.
“We have a really good team; the opportunity that we have in front of us is amazing,” Lindor said. “But I’ve been in teams I’ve had high expectations and haven’t done much, and teams that haven’t had as high of expectations and have done a lot. So we’ve got to go out there and go to work.”
Two years ago, the Mets had an exorbitant payroll and embarrassingly ended the season with little to show for it. This isn’t a new thing for this team, but seasons like that were supposed to be behind them with new ownership and the addition of stars like Lindor. So last year’s run was extra gratifying, but also validating. While the rest of baseball might not have made much of the Mets, Lindor had been saying since the first day of spring training that he thought the team could surprise.
Now, they aren’t surprising anyone. There is a target on the back of the Mets, as there is for every contender, and Lindor will play a crucial role in making sure the standards are upheld and the winning continues.
The 31-year-old is quick to note that it’s not all on him. Baseball ops boss David Stearns constructed a team of players that appear to have the character the Mets are looking for, something Lindor views as a potential strength of the 2025 squad.
“We have an opportunity to play the game the right way,” he said. “There are a lot of guys here with the ability to do the little things right day in and day out. That’s something that I’m looking forward to and I think it’s something that can take us very far.”
Lindor will lead the best way he knows how. He’ll lean on Nimmo, he’ll have tough conversations with young players, he’ll play the game with integrity, try to get everyone else on the same page and back off when necessary.
“I’ve always been good at just observing, but I feel like I’ve gotten a little better at just taking a look around and making sure everything is in the right place,” he said. “I’ve also understood that my job is really important. Playing shortstop for the New York Mets is really important. If I do that, a lot of other things are going to take care of itself.”
Lindor will also make himself available to play daily. Convincing him to take a day off has proven nearly impossible, and it sounds as though that’s still the case.
“MLB does a fantastic job of putting days off in the calendar,” he said.
The back appears to be fine as Lindor starts camp. He confirmed as much Saturday when he said he’s able to pick up his daughters with ease. The success of the Mets won’t solely hinge on whether or not Lindor stays healthy, but it sure will make a difference. It will be determined by the strength of the lineup and the depth of the pitching staff.
It will also be determined by how it stays together to weather the storms of the season. Captain or not, the Mets need all Lindor has to give.
“It’s going to be a bunch of guys that are held accountable for their own actions,” Lindor said. “Guys are going to be prepared. Let them go out and take it.”