Francisco Lindor was a closely-watched prospect during his minor-league career. However, the shortstop got his MLB call-up last year. The Cleveland Indians’ SS has been a revelation. After a rookie year to remember many were excited by his sophomore season potential. He hasn’t disappointed. Although it’s early days, he’s proving to be the face of the franchise for the Tribe, and he’s handling his business both offensively and defensively, also impressing with his incredible baseball smarts. Lindor is set to be a season-after-season sensation, with many already calling him the best in the business. He’s certainly set for stardom, and the Tribe is lucky to have him.
In 2015 he played in 99 games, and drove in 51 runs. It took 122 hits to produce this, and he took to the professional ranks like a duck to water. Inside of these statistics, he blasted 12 home runs. He was never tipped to become a home-run hitter, but he has quickly became an option to go deep, as well as for getting on base.
Forget Lindor’s hitting for a minute, and look at his glove abilities. His catching is second to none. Quite often he throws his body several yards in order to dive in the dirt and make the eye-catching play that has fans talking for days. On top of that his throwing ability is almost like that of an elite NFL quarterback. The ball travels at speed, and his velocity ensures it goes wherever he wants it to, with great accuracy.
His Indians team could win it all. Betway’s sports betting site offers odds on several teams to win the World Series, but if Lindor can continue his impressive array of baseball skills, then the Tribe might be the team to back.
His coach Terry Francona recently backed his coolness about his form. He explained “When you really think about it, he ought to be. Shoot, he’s good. If I could play like that, I’d be calm too. You ought to try it the other way, not too fun. And he’s still young, and we need to not forget that. [Wednesday] is a good example. I think it was [Nick] Castellanos [who] hit a ball and he [was] laid back on it. They almost challenged it. We don’t need that to happen.”
Terry went on to explain “That’s the same kid who made the other three plays that inning that [make you say], ‘Wow.’ It could have been bases loaded very easily. He took two hits away. Those are unbelievable plays.”
His groundbreaking hits, and sensational SS plays have led to many calling him the best in his position in all of baseball. He does whatever he can to be the best, and that buzz has been a blessing for the Tribe. The Indians lacked All-Star talent for so long, but Lindor seems destined to change that, and stardom, if not already obtained, is certainly on its way.
Francona believes he will only grow, and improve, adding, “That’s him still learning, and that’s OK. He’s a young kid. If that’s the worst thing he’s doing — or like he like he hit a ball the other day to right field and it bounced off the wall and I thought he had a chance to push it for a triple. Maybe not, I was probably nitpicking, but I’d like to see [it]. And those are things that you can tell him, and he goes, ‘OK.’ And he’s good about it.”
Lindor not only loves the game of baseball, but he loves his team, the fans, and his team-mates, and that shows entirely with his all-around effort on the field.
Francona concluded “He wants to be a really good player, and not just statistically. I think that’s why we want him to have more responsibility because he’s a smart kid and the more he has to say about what goes on in our infield, the better off we’re going to be. He does a good job. Like, first and third plays, he’s on it. He knows what’s going on. That’s a good feeling.”
It’s safe to say that he’s quickly become a fans’ favourite in Cleveland, and his season-and-a-bit form has ensured that he has quickly became a household name across baseball.
Whether it be with his bat, his intelligence or his solid defensive efforts, he is proving to be a very special player, and stardom seems a certainty for years and years to come.
Watch out baseball, Lindor is only going to get better.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
