It might be old (but still really good) news for Indians fans by now, but rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor is something special. Since being called up from Triple-A Columbus in mid-June, Lindor has put up Rookie-of-the-Year-like numbers, making highlights on the field—and plenty of hijinks off of it.
And now, it seems as though the rest of the MLB is starting to take notice, too. In a “10 Degrees” column published Tuesday, Yahoo! Sports columnist Jeff Passan called Lindor “arguably the best player in the second half” among 2015’s rookie class, comparing the 21-year-old to All-Star infielders like Rodriguez, Jeter, and Garciaparra:
“And among the incredible rookie class of 2015…
Francisco Lindor has arguably been the best player in the second half. Among position players, the Cleveland Indians’ 21-year-old shortstop is fifth in all of baseball in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement. Since the break, Lindor is hitting .351/.391/.511, tapping into unforeseen power and playing the sort of shortstop that should win him Gold Gloves starting soon.
Cleveland waited until mid-June to call Lindor up mainly so he would remain cheap for the next three seasons and not hit arbitration until the 2019 season. Cleveland could have one of the best shortstops in baseball – someone who alongside Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts should be fighting for All-Star spots like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra once did – for less than $2 million over the next three seasons, and there is enormous value in that.
The value is tangible, there every day in box scores and highlights, recognizable to the layman and astrophysicist alike.”
While manager Terry Francona rested him in Tuesday’s 7-4 loss to the White Sox, Lindor is expected back in the lineup against Chicago on Wednesday. And, while Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is considered to be the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year favorite, Lindor is expected to give him a run for his money, right down to the wire.