It has been a frustrating five-month period for New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.
In March, Lindor's Puerto Rican side was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Team Mexico in a stunning upset at the World Baseball Classic. His Mets have started the year poorly and look like a long shot for the playoffs. His current .322 on-base percentage would be the lowest of his career if the season were to end today. To make matters worse, Lindor missed out on a place at the 2023 All-Star Game.
MLB writer and Mets fan Ben Yoel is one person that believes Lindor deserves to be in Seattle this week.
"Perdomo over Lindor is such a bad look for MLB." - Ben Yoel
Yoel was shocked to see Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo selected to replace Dansby Swanson on the NL roster.
Perdomo is only in his third season in the majors but has put up solid numbers this year. His .274 batting average and .381 OBP are significantly better than Lindor's, but he is lagging behind in most other offensive categories.
Over 88 games, Lindor has recorded 19 home runs, 60 RBIs, 79 hits, and 13 stolen bases. In comparison, Perdomo has five home runs, 33 RBIs, 60 hits, and nine stolen bases over 72 games.
Francisco Lindor was named an All-Star for four consecutive seasons between 2016-2019
The news will come as a blow to Lindor who is regarded as one of the game's premier infielders. The 29-year-old can hit, hit with power, field, throw, and steal bases.
"Wondering why the Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo (2.4 fWAR) was named an NL All-Star replacement over the Mets’ Francisco Lindor (3.0)? According to the league, Perdomo earned his place as a result of the player balloting." - Ken Rosenthal
Lindor was named to the All-Star game for four straight seasons between 2016-2019. He is a Platinum Glove winner, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
The New York Mets star was gracious when asked about the snub and congratulated Perdomo saying he was "happy for him."
Francisco Lindor will have a lengthy four-day break to regroup and focus on working the Mets back into contention. Next on the schedule for the struggling Mets - a grueling three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.