Background and career
Francisco Miguel Lindor Serrano (born November 14, 1993), nicknamed "Mr. Smile", is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians. He is a right-handed thrower and switch hitter. Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Lindor began playing baseball at an early age, and he moved with his family to Florida when he was 12. He became the Indians' first-round selection, and eighth overall, in the 2011 MLB draft. In the minor leagues, he participated in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game, and by 2013, was rated by Baseball America as the Indians' top overall prospect. Lindor batted over .300 in both his first two major league seasons and provided elite defense. In 2016, he led the Indians to a World Series appearance and earned his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove Award, becoming the first Puerto Rican shortstop to win the Gold Glove Award. He placed second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and won his first Silver Slugger Award in 2017. During the 2017 World Baseball Classic, playing for the Puerto Rico national baseball team, Lindor was named to the 2017 All-WBC Team. Lindor was traded to the Mets following the 2020 season and later signed a 10-year, $341 million extension with the team. In 2023, he joined the 30–30 club for the first time. Since 2016, Lindor has made the All-Star Game five times, won four Silver Slugger Awards, two Gold Gloves, a Platinum Glove, and the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.
Lindor was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, on November 14, 1993, the third of four children of Miguel Angel Lindor and Maria Serrano. He began playing baseball at a young age, assisted by his father, who would hit him ground balls from the top of a hill while the younger Lindor stood partway down the slope, attempting to field them. Lindor's favorite baseball players as a child were all middle infielders: Roberto Alomar, Omar Vizquel, Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins and Barry Larkin. Lindor moved to Central Florida at the age of 12, with his father, stepmother, and youngest sibling, and was enrolled at the Montverde Academy prep school. After he signed with the Cleveland Indians in August 2011, his mother and two older siblings joined him in Florida.
Lindor attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. The school's baseball facility was named after him in 2013. He was named to the USA Today All-USA high school baseball team. The Indians drafted Lindor in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2011 MLB draft. He had a full-ride scholarship offer in place with the Florida State Seminoles baseball team but chose to sign with the Indians for $2.9 million in August. In September, Lindor was drafted by the Indios de Mayagüez in the second round of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente's (LBPRC) first-year draft. However, he has been unable to play there due to Cleveland's intervention. On May 7, 2014, the Indios de Mayagüez traded Lindor's LBPRC player rights to the Gigantes de Carolina in exchange for Carlos Correa. However, only two weeks later the Cangrejeros de Santurce signed him by exploiting a legal loophole declaring that any player that has not been officially contracted within three years after being drafted is considered a free agent.
Lindor began his professional career with the Low-A New York–Penn League Mahoning Valley Scrappers during the 2011 season and appeared in four games. MLB.com rated Lindor as the 32nd best prospect in baseball before the 2012 season. He was assigned to the Lake County Captains of the Single-A Midwest League, and named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. In 122 games for Lake County, Lindor had a .257 batting average with six home runs, 42 RBI, 33 extra-base hits and 27 stolen bases. Prior to the 2012 season, Baseball America ranked him as the Indians top prospect. Lindor started the 2013 season with the Carolina Mudcats of the High-A Carolina League. He was promoted to the Akron Aeros of the Double-A Eastern League on July 15, 2013. Between the two affiliates, Lindor batted .303 with two home runs, 34 RBI, 31 extra-base hits, and 25 stolen bases in 104 games. Lindor began the 2014 season with Akron. The Indians promoted Lindor to the Columbus Clippers of the Triple-A International League on July 21, 2014. In 126 games between the two clubs, he batted .276 with 11 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases. Lindor began the 2015 season with Columbus.
The Indians purchased Lindor's contract from Columbus on June 14, 2015, and added him to the active roster. In 59 games for Columbus prior to his promotion, he was batting .284 with two home runs and 22 RBIs. He made his debut with the Indians that day as a pinch hitter. He stayed in the game and recorded his first major league hit. Lindor won the American League Rookie of the Month Award for September, during which he batted .362. He finished the 2015 season with a .313 batting average, 12 home runs, 51 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 22 doubles in 99 games for the Indians. He placed second in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting.
In 2016, Lindor finished the season with a .301 batting average, 15 home runs, 78 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, 15 sacrifice flies (leading the majors), and 30 doubles in 158 games for the Indians. He was named a Gold Glove Award finalist at shortstop along with Jose Iglesias and Andrelton Simmons. In the 2016 MLB postseason, Lindor's seven multi-hit games broke the record for most ever for a player less than 23 years old. His 16 postseason hits are also the most hits by a batter since 1997, and he's the youngest Cleveland batter to have six World Series hits. Following the 2016 season, Lindor was presented with his first Gold Glove Award and first Platinum Glove Award. Lindor was the 2016 Esurance MLB/This Year in Baseball Award winner for Best Defensive Player. He finished ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) voting.
