The New York Mets fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 National League Championship Series, but they want to make another long playoff run in 2025. This summer, New York signed 26-year-old outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract, strengthening its lineup with the four-time All-Star. Soto is anticipated to bat second in Carlos Mendoza’s lineup, trailing shortstop Francisco Lindor, who just finished second in MVP voting. Lindor, who is entering the fourth year of his 10-year, $341 million contract with the Mets, has been the franchise’s face after a six-year stint in Cleveland.
As Lindor has taken on more leadership responsibilities in New York, talk of appointing him the Mets’ formal captain has circulated. Despite these ongoing negotiations, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported on Sunday that New York has chosen not to appoint Lindor as club captain, at least for now. “Ultimately, they decided to table the conversation — at least for now,” DiComo wrote on Sunday. “That is not a commentary on Lindor, who teammates and officials believe would make an exceptional organizational steward. It’s merely a recognition that the Mets’ leadership situation is complex.”
As DiComo detailed in his story, the Mets must now decide whether to appoint a captain for the first time since club legend David Wright retired in 2018. While Lindor appears to be deserving of the distinction, the Mets have a joint leadership effort in the clubhouse. “Wright, who served as captain from 2013-18, was the obvious choice of his era,” DiComo told me. “At the time, no other Met possessed his distinct combination of natural leadership abilities, peer recognition, organizational longevity, and contractual stability… The current situation is different, with two long-time leaders in Lindor and Nimmo, a high-profile newcomer in Soto, and several other veterans who command enormous respect.
With two established leaders in Lindor and Nimmo, a newly signed superstar in Soto, and even the highly regarded Pete Alonso back in the mix, New York faces a difficult decision. Does it make sense to name only one captain? If that’s the case, it’ll be difficult to choose that player.
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