On September 4, 2026, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns ended months of speculation with two words: «no question.» Speaking to reporters before New York’s game against the San Francisco Giants, Stearns confirmed that Francisco Lindor will be the Mets’ everyday shortstop in 2027 — regardless of a brutal injury-shortened season, a 61-76 record, or the most aggressive roster teardown in recent franchise history.
Why Stearns Didn’t Have Much of a Choice
The statement sounds like a vote of full confidence. And partly it is. But the contract reality makes it almost inevitable: Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million extension in 2021 — still the largest contract ever given to a shortstop in MLB history — and the Mets still owe him $170.5 million, including deferred money, through 2041. On top of that, Lindor carries a full no-trade clause. Without his approval, there’s no deal to be made.
None of that diminishes what Stearns actually said. In a year when the Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza on June 26 with a 34-47 record, installed interim skipper Andy Green, and cleared out the bullpen before the August 3 deadline — shipping off Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, and others — naming Lindor as the cornerstone of the 2027 project is a genuine organizational statement. Someone has to be the center of the rebuild. That someone is the Puerto Rican shortstop.
A 2026 Season Unlike Any Other in His Career
Lindor missed 57 games with a significant left soleus strain between late April and late June. From 2022 through 2025, he had played at least 150 games every single season. That broken streak of durability helps explain the numbers: .231/.317/.740 OPS in 83 games, 15 home runs, and 36 RBI — well below his career standard.
The defensive slide was equally jarring for a two-time Gold Glove winner (2016 and 2019): 10 errors in 708.1 innings, -5 Defensive Runs Saved, and -2 Outs Above Average, placing him in the bottom 10 among MLB shortstops across the four main defensive metrics.
Stearns, however, didn’t read any of it as a sign of permanent decline. He told reporters that «the underlying stuff is still pretty good» and that this year’s errors reflect isolated execution breakdowns — not a structural problem. He expects Lindor to return to making routine plays at his normal rate in 2027.
Stearns was specific: «I think a lot of the underlying stuff is still pretty good. And uncharacteristically, he just hasn’t completed a lot of the plays that he normally completes. I really don’t think there’s anything more in there than that.» — Stearns to reporters before the September 4 Mets-Giants game (via Athlon Sports).
And the Statcast data backs him up more than the skeptics. Lindor is posting an average exit velocity of 91.1 mph — 82nd percentile among all MLB hitters — and a hard-hit rate of 48%, which ranks in the 86th percentile. His xwOBA of .338 and xSLG in the 75th percentile suggest the quality of contact is still there; the results just haven’t followed. That’s exactly what Stearns means by «the underlying stuff.»
What This Means for the Mets’ Rebuild
New York entered 2026 as NL East favorites. They’re sitting at 61-76 with a roster stripped to the studs. But every rebuild needs an anchor, and Lindor — even in the worst season of his career — is the highest-profile name left on this roster. Five All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, and a power game that remains real when he’s healthy.
The question for 2027 isn’t whether Lindor can be Lindor again — Stearns already answered that. The question is what pieces they’ll build around him when the real rebuild gets underway.
The Numbers Behind the Story
- 361 plate appearances in 2026
- 16 home runs, 38 RBI
- AVG: .231 | OPS: .740
- xwOBA: .338 (what the quality of contact says he «should» be doing)
- Average exit velocity: 91.1 mph (82nd percentile)
- Hard-hit rate: 48% (86th percentile)
- Barrel rate: 9.2%
- Average bat speed: 72.6 mph
The radar guns don’t lie — and right now, they’re saying Francisco Lindor still has plenty left.
