"Francisco Lindor plays every game, every inning" - Mets coach claims Shohei Ohtani's DH role makes Puerto Rican shortstop the deserving 2024 NL MVP
With less than two days remaining until the Baseball Writers' Association of America announces the 2024 NL MVP award winner, the race is down to LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. However, Lindor and Ohtani have separated themselves from the pack.
In the leadup to the announcement, the support for the Puerto Rican Lindor has only grown, with the latest to hail him as deserving of the MVP being Mets bench coach John Gibbons.
"I mean, you can just go on and on about all the times (Francisco Lindor) stepped up when you needed him. You know what's impressive about him? He plays every game, every inning," Gibbons said on "Amazin' Conversations" with Jay Horwitz (10:22 mark of the video below).
"He's out there early, working on his defense, taking batting practice. I've never seen that before—where someone goes out there every day, and with that big old smile on his face. Even through the tough times early in the season, he was the same guy," he added.
John Gibbons believes that a player who only serves as a designated hitter, regardless of their statistics, isn't as deserving of the MVP award as one who plays all nine innings on both sides of the field.
"As far as the MVP, with Ohtani, he's going to be in the running every year, especially when he starts pitching again. But to me, an MVP — maybe they need to have a separate MVP for DHs — because if a guy's got to play the field, I think it gives so much more to a team than someone who's just a DH," Gibbons said.
John Gibbons weighs in on Francisco Lindor's clutch performances to be considered
Another point Mets coach John Gibbons added in favor of Francisco Lindor was his ability to perform in clutch situations. There were several games in which the Puerto Rican's offense and defense turned out to be game-changers for the Mets.
He had a memorable moment in the postseason when he hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning to propel the Mets to the NL Championship Series.
"They don’t recognize clutch anymore these days, but he was as clutch as anybody’s probably ever been. When you needed something done, he got it done. There’s no question in my mind—and I’m a little biased—that he’s the MVP. And we know in our hearts, anyway, regardless of how they vote on it," Gibbons said.
While Gibbons has shared his opinion, who do you feel is more deserving of the NL 2024 MVP between Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor?