What's Behind Francisco Lindor's Concerning Slump?

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November 28, 2024 at 02:10 AM

Francisco Lindor is experiencing significant struggles in his first season with the New York Mets after signing a 10-year, $341 million contract. His performance has raised concerns among fans and analysts alike.

Through the first two months of the 2021 season, Lindor's statistics paint a troubling picture:

Batting average: .198
Home runs: 4
RBI: 11
OPS: .595 (10th-worst among qualified players)
OPS+: 69 (league average is 100)
Making outs on 76% of balls in play (5th-worst among qualified batters)

The core issue isn't strikeouts - Lindor maintains a decent strikeout-to-walk ratio with 31 strikeouts and 22 walks. Instead, the problem lies in his declining hard-hit rate:

2018: 9.5%
2019: 7.5%
2020: 5.6%
2021: 5.0%

This declining trend in hard contact is particularly concerning given that Lindor is only 27 years old and should be in his prime. While he's unlikely to maintain such a low batting average all season, his decreased power output suggests his days as a 30+ home run, 100+ run, 90+ RBI player may be behind him.

This performance validates Cleveland's decision to trade Lindor before free agency, as the returns - Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez - have shown promise despite their own inconsistencies.