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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor believes the team shouldn't get excited by the prospect of overtaking the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings this weekend. He feels the Mets can reach the postseason by simply focusing on continuing to perform the way they have been doing.
The Mets had a dismal start to the 2024 season but are firmly in contention for a playoff berth now, with Francisco Lindor playing a major part in their resurgence. The 30-year-old switch-hitter has a .259/.338/.479 for the season with .817 OPS. He also leads the team with 4.5 bWAR and has 29 extra-base hits, including 22 home runs.
On Tuesday, the Mets beat the Braves 3-2 with a walk-off 10th-inning victory at Citi Field during the opening clash of their four-game series. Francisco Lindor made a notable contribution once again, hitting a solo home run in the third inning to put his team into an early lead.
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He gave his thoughts on the competition among the two teams for the wildcard spots.
"We've been ahead of them before. We've just got to stay locked in on that task on a daily basis. They are a good team. They know how to play baseball in August and September," Francisco Lindor said.
"So, we've got to do the same things. We've got a good team to climb (up the standings), a good team to stay on course (for the postseason). We'll see where we are at the end of the year. Hopefully, we are in a position to compete for the playoffs, if not in the playoffs (already)," he added.
The Mets are now only half a game behind the Braves in the NL East and could move above their division rivals by winning the series.
Francisco Lindor has played a vital role for the Mets in their turnaround
The opening couple of months of the 2024 season were bitterly disappointing for the New York Mets, as they fell to a 24-33 record by the end of May. However, they have been one of the best MLB teams over the past few weeks. Following their victory on Tuesday night, the Mets have gone 30-15 since June 1.
Similarly, Lindor also had a slow start to the season, hitting just .200 over the first month and a half along with having an OPS under of .700. He has been on fire after getting out of that slump, posting a .315/.395/.590 slashline since May 21, with .985 OPS and 14 home runs.
