18. Francisco Lindor

The New York Mets acquired Francisco Lindor before the 2021 season, aiming to make him the core of a championship-caliber team. After arriving in Queens from Cleveland and signing a significant ten-year, $341 million extension, he became the franchise's central figure. However, five years on, some questions remain.

The first season of his New York stay was marked by immediate, intense challenges. Lindor began his 2021 debut season amidst strong opposition, receiving loud boos from the Citi Field fans who doubted the value of his contract from the start. Despite a rough Start, he managed to hit 20 home runs by October, though the early struggles were harsh. Nonetheless, he quickly regained his top form; his hitting prowess re-emerged in 2022 with 26 home runs and 107 RBIs, and he followed up with 31 homers in 2023. During these seasons, he finished ninth in the NL MVP voting twice, reaffirming his status as a top offensive threat.

Lindor attained an extraordinary pinnacle of individual and team achievement during the outstanding 2024 season. Serving as the unequivocal core and motivation of the team, he achieved 33 home runs and 29 stolen bases while participating in 169 games, guiding a resilient Mets team to the National League Championship Series. His exceptional performance earned him the runner-up position for the National League Most Valuable Player award, behind Shohei Ohtani. He maintained this high standard throughout the 2025 season, overcoming a mid-summer toe injury to produce another exemplary performance. He hit 31 home runs, stole 31 bases, achieving a historic 30-30 season, and was selected as the starting shortstop for the National League All-Star team, marking his first recognition as a Met.

He concluded his 2025 campaign with a tenth-place finish in the MVP race, having set a Major League record for switch-hitters with 11 leadoff home runs and scoring 117 runs.

Lindor is now over 30 and enters 2026 on the Mets roster amid a lot of questions, namely about his relationship with Juan Soto.   Lindor has been very good for New York, but a World Series will justify that deal.  This season will tell a lot about that happening.