Mets star Francisco Lindor is really damn good (again), whether you like it or not

There is a small but vocal subset of the Mets' fan base that has -- for some reason -- been in denial for a few years now about how good Francisco Lindor is.

And that portion of the fan base was out in full force earlier this season when Lindor was mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, leading to him having a slash line of .190/.265/.352 entering play on May 19.

While the advanced stats to that point suggested that Lindor was hitting into plenty of hard luck, he was having a very bad year at the plate -- plain and simple.

Despite Lindor being an elite player in both 2022 and 2023, there were calls from some for the Mets to trade him as part of a larger breaking up of the core.

There were renewed cries that Lindor's contract was not worth it.

There were those claiming that Lindor was not the superstar player they thought they were getting when the Mets traded for him and signed him to a massive extension.

Look ... there will always be unreasonable, irrational fans in every fan base. It's just the nature of the beast. And it's heightened now that we're in the social media/never-ending hot take era.

But while every fan is entitled to his or her opinion, the strange obsession with not giving credit to Lindor and/or attacking him (and in a few sick instances, going after his family) when he's been one of the most valuable players in baseball the last two seasons is bizarre.

Now, back to how Lindor has done on the field...

Since his rough first month and a half, he has been on another planet offensively.

In 115 plate appearances over 25 games dating back to May 19, he is slashing .304/.374/.539 (.913 OPS) with five homers and nine doubles.

His OPS+ for the season is up to 111.

As far as what his final numbers could be, Lindor is on pace to finish the regular season with 28 homers, 39 doubles, and 100 runs scored.

Lindor still has a bit to go when it comes to getting his overall triple slash to where it was in 2022 and 2023, but it's safe to bank on him getting there.

For those who might have forgotten, Lindor had an .806 OPS (122 OPS+) in 2023 while finishing ninth in National League MVP voting and winning a Silver Slugger. He was the 13th-most valuable player in baseball, via fWAR, just behind Julio Rodriguez and ahead of Spencer Strider, Corbin Carroll, and Adley Rutschman.

In 2022, Lindor had a .788 OPS (125 OPS+) while finishing ninth in National League MVP voting (not a typo, he was top 10 in both 2022 and 2023). He was the 10th-most valuable player in baseball, via fWAR, just behind J.T. Realmuto and Dansby Swanson and ahead of Trea Turner and Yordan Alvarez.

I'm not sure where some people got the idea that Lindor was a .300 hitter (he hit above .300 his first two years but hasn't done so since 2016) or a huge power guy, and perhaps it's that misguided belief that's clouding their judgment.

But here are the facts:

Lindor's career OPS+ in six seasons in Cleveland was 118
Lindor's career OPS+ in three-plus seasons with the Mets -- even factoring in his average first season in Queens -- is 116

Like it or not, those are indisputable numbers. And they can't be argued with, as much as some people might try.

In a way, the guff Lindor has faced during his time with the Mets reminds me of how Carlos Beltran was treated by many in the fan base -- and is still treated by some to this day.

Beltran wasn't acquired via trade, but his huge free agent contract was similar in 2005 to the extension Lindor signed in 2021.

Like Lindor, Beltran was one of the best offensive players at his position and was a defensive wizard who didn't get nearly enough credit for his prowess in the field and the value it brought to the team.

He was also a clubhouse leader with a tireless work ethic who took younger players under his wing.

Why don't we take a second now to talk about Lindor's defense at shortstop?

He was in the 100th percentile in 2021 when it comes to OAA (Outs Above Average), in the 98th percentile in 2022, in the 90th percentile in 2023, and is in the 98th percentile in 2024.

That is elite production -- the best of the best.

Lindor's defense should not be an afterthought, because it's incredibly valuable. And he's doing it at one of the most premium positions on the diamond.

Want to talk more about his offense this season?

Lindor is near the top of the league in seven of 12 advanced stats tracked by Baseball Savant, and is above average in four others.

It's remarkable that this even had to be written. But it's time for Lindor to get the respect he deserves for being this damn good.