How Francisco Lindor made his case for National League MVP. Where does he stand in the race?

Throughout 2024, Francisco Lindor talked about riding the good waves of the season for as long as possible.

The Mets’ shortstop started off by enduring a stream of disappointing efforts during the first month. The Mets struggled with Lindor for the first two months before the then-30-year-old held a team meeting following a three-game win over the Dodgers in late May.

It was one of the defining moments of the Mets’ season when Lindor came out on top on May 18th. Soon, with Lindor leading the charge, the Mets made a valiant effort to reach the 2024 Major Leagues. Baseball playoffs.

Lindor has led the Mets’ surge over the past four months as the Mets have posted the best record in MLB over that period. During the season, he put together one of his strongest hits of his ten-year career, slashing .273/.344/.500 with 33 home runs, 91 RBIs, 107 runs, 39 doubles and 29 stolen bases. Through it all, Lindor remained one of the best defenders in the game.

“I think we’re getting to the point where we’re talking about perhaps the greatest season by an individual position player in the history of this franchise,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in early September. “I’ve been in some really special seasons, some MVP seasons, it’s on par with anything I’ve seen day in and day out.”

With his best 89-win record for the Mets, Lindor was named a finalist for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, which will be announced Thursday night. The other finalists for the award were Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks.

While Ohtani had a record season as the Dodgers’ designated hitter, Lindor performed at a high level in both facets of the game.

Since moving to the leadoff spot, Lindor has slashed .304/.374/.554 with 26 home runs, 70 RBIs, 31 doubles and 82 runs batted in over his last 108 games. According to Statcast, Lindor ranked fifth in MLB with 16 strikeouts above average.

And while providing steady leadership in the Mets’ clubhouse, he also delivered some of the biggest moments, including in the penultimate game of the season when his ninth-inning, two-run home run against the rival Braves propelled the Mets into the playoffs. . That momentum came as Lindor played with a strained back the final two weeks of the season.

As the Mets edged toward the playoffs, “MVP” chants poured into Citi Field, and Lindor absorbed them. He’s finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times during his 10-year career, but whatever happens Thursday will be his best finish of his career.

“If it happens, it will be a dream come true. It will be something very special,” Lindor said in September. “But right now I’m focused on winning baseball games, and at the end of the day, I appreciate the love the fans give me.”

Here’s what stood out among the other 2024 NL MVP finalists:

Shohei Ohtani

Although Ohtani no longer produced a two-way effort on the diamond after undergoing elbow surgery late in 2023, the offensive fireworks continued with explosive force in 2024.

The 30-year-old had a historic campaign, hitting 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, becoming the first player in MLB history to post a 50-50 season. He hit .310/.390/.646 and led the National League in RBI (130), runs (134) and WAR (9.2).

He played a leading role in helping the Dodgers to an MLB-best record of 98–64.

Ohtani, who is the presumptive favorite to win the award, was also MVP in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels before signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers last offseason.

Ketel Marte

As the Diamondbacks built on their World Series success in 2023 with five more wins in 2024 but ultimately falling short of the playoffs, Marte was at the forefront of that step forward.

The Dbacks second baseman, who earned his second All-Star selection, finished .292/.372/.560 with 36 home runs, 95 RBIs and 93 runs batted in despite missing 26 games.

He was second in the National League in slugging percentage and OPS and fourth in bWAR (6.8). He also provided strong defense on the right side of the diamond, posting an OAA of 8, according to Statcast.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New York Mets: Francisco Lindor’s case for National League MVP, where he’s in the race