Francisco Lindor facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Lindor and the second or maternal family name is Serrano.

Quick facts for kids

Francisco Lindor

Lindor with the Mets in 2024

New York Mets – No. 12

Shortstop

Born: November 14, 1993 (age 31)
Caguas, Puerto Rico

Bats: Switch

Throws: Right

debut

June 14, 2015, for the Cleveland Indians

MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)

Batting average

.274

1,492

248

770

185

Teams

Cleveland Indians (2015–2020)
New York Mets (2021–present)

Career highlights and awards

MLB

4× All-Star (2016–2019)
3× All-MLB Second Team (2022–2024)
2× Gold Glove Award (2016, 2019)
4× Silver Slugger Award (2017, 2018, 2023, 2024)

International

All-World Baseball Classic Team (2017)

Medals

Men's baseball

Representing USA
World Youth Baseball Championship
Gold	2009 Taiwan	Team
Representing PUR
World Baseball Classic
Silver	2017 Los Angeles	Team

Francisco Miguel Lindor Serrano (born November 14, 1993) is a famous baseball player. People often call him "Mr. Smile" because he's always smiling! He plays as a shortstop for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Mets, he played for the Cleveland Indians. Francisco is a switch hitter, meaning he can bat from both sides. He also throws the ball with his right hand.

Francisco was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He started playing baseball when he was very young. When he was 12, his family moved to Florida. In 2011, the Cleveland Indians chose him as their first pick in the MLB draft. This was a big step towards his professional career.

Lindor quickly became a star in the major leagues. He hit over .300 in his first two seasons. He also played amazing defense. In 2016, he helped the Indians reach the 2016 World Series. He was chosen for his first All-Star team and won a Gold Glove Award. He was the first shortstop from Puerto Rico to win this award! In 2017, he won his first Silver Slugger Award. After the 2020 season, Lindor joined the New York Mets. In 2023, he joined the special 30–30 club, which means he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in one season.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Francisco Lindor was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, on November 14, 1993. He was the third of four children. His parents are Miguel Angel Lindor and Maria Serrano. He started playing baseball very early. His father helped him practice by hitting ground balls down a hill for Francisco to field.

As a child, Lindor looked up to many great middle infielders. Some of his favorite players were Robbie Alomar, Omar Vizquel, and Derek Jeter. When he was 12, Francisco moved to Central Florida. He lived there with his father, stepmother, and youngest sibling. He went to Montverde Academy, a prep school. Later, his mother and older siblings also moved to Florida.

Journey to Professional Baseball

Drafted by the Indians

Francisco Lindor went to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In 2013, the school even named its baseball field after him! In 2011, the Cleveland Indians picked Lindor in the first round of the MLB draft. He had a scholarship offer to play college baseball, but he chose to sign with the Indians for $2.9 million.

Playing in the Minor Leagues (2011–2015)

Lindor started his professional career in 2011 with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Before the 2012 season, MLB.com said he was the 32nd best young player in baseball. He played for the Lake County Captains and was chosen for the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. In 122 games, he hit .257 with six home runs and 27 stolen bases.

In 2013, Baseball America called him the Indians' top young player. He played for the Carolina Mudcats and then the Akron Aeros. Between these teams, he hit .303 with 25 stolen bases. In 2014, he moved up to the Columbus Clippers. He hit 11 home runs and stole 28 bases that year. Lindor started the 2015 season with Columbus before moving to the major leagues.

Major League Career Highlights

Cleveland Indians (2015–2020)

First Seasons and World Series (2015–2016)

The Indians called Lindor up to the major leagues on June 14, 2015. He made his debut that day and got his first major league hit. He was named the American League (AL) Rookie of the Month for September. He finished his first season hitting an impressive .313 with 12 home runs. He came in second for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Lindor during the 2016 World Series

In 2016, Lindor had a great season. He hit .301 with 15 home runs and 19 stolen bases. He led all of baseball with 15 sacrifice flies. He was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award. In the 2016 MLB postseason, he set a record for most multi-hit games for a player under 23. He also had the most hits by a Cleveland player in the World Series since 1997. After the season, he won his first Gold Glove Award and the Platinum Glove Award. He was also named the Best Defensive Player by Esurance MLB.

Continued Success (2017–2019)

Lindor during the 2017 season

On April 5, 2017, Lindor hit his first career grand slam. This helped the Indians win 9-6. On July 22, 2017, he hit his first career walk-off home run in the 10th inning. This gave the Indians a 2-1 victory. In the 2017 American League Division Series, he hit a grand slam in the postseason. He was only the third shortstop in history to do this.

In 2017, Lindor hit 33 home runs and had 89 RBIs. He won his first Silver Slugger Award as a shortstop. He was also on Baseball America's All-MLB Team. He was even chosen to be on the cover of the video game R.B.I. Baseball 18.

In 2018, Lindor won the AL Player of the Week Award two weeks in a row. He had 17 hits and 11 runs in one week. He also hit four home runs and doubled twice in a game. He was named AL Player of the Month for May. He led all players with 44 hits and 27 runs scored that month. On July 2, he hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and had a career-high seven RBIs. He was chosen for his third straight All-Star Game. He also broke the record for most runs scored by a Puerto Rican MLB player before the All-Star break. He finished the season with a .277 batting average and won his second straight Silver Slugger award.

Lindor in 2019

In 2019, Lindor was again an All-Star. He also won his second Gold Glove Award at shortstop.

Final Season with Cleveland (2020)

In 2020, Lindor's hitting numbers were not as high as usual. He batted .258 with eight home runs. However, his defense remained excellent, showing he was still one of the best shortstops in the league.

New York Mets (2021–Present)

On January 7, 2021, Lindor was traded to the New York Mets along with another player, Carlos Carrasco. The Mets sent Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, and two young players to Cleveland.

New Team, New Records (2021–2022)

Just before the 2021 season started, Lindor signed a big contract with the Mets. It was for 10 years and $341 million, keeping him with the team until 2031. He hit two home runs in a game on June 19. On September 12, he hit three home runs in one game for the first time in his career. He finished the season with 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases.

In 2022, Lindor was named the National League Player of the Week on May 31. He drove in a run in every game that week. On August 14, he broke the Mets' record for most RBIs by a shortstop in a season. On September 15, he set a new Mets record for most home runs by a shortstop in a single season. He finished 2022 with 26 home runs, 16 stolen bases, and 107 RBIs. He also won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.

Joining the 30-30 Club (2023)

Lindor with the Mets in 2023

On June 27, 2023, Lindor hit his 200th career home run. On July 6, he had an amazing game, getting five hits including two triples and a home run. He was the first shortstop in MLB history to have a five-hit game with two triples and a home run. On September 27, Lindor hit three home runs in a doubleheader. This helped him achieve his first career 30–30 season. This means he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in one season. He was only the fourth player in Mets history to do this. He finished 2023 with 31 home runs, 31 stolen bases, and 98 RBIs. After the season, he won his third Silver Slugger Award.

More Milestones (2024)

In 2024, Lindor started strong in June, hitting 18 doubles and nine home runs. On August 21, he hit his 25th home run of the season. This made him the first shortstop in MLB history to have three seasons with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. On August 26, he was again named the National League Player of the Week. He hit three home runs, including a grand slam.

On September 3, Lindor hit his 30th home run of the season. This made him one of only three shortstops in MLB history with at least five seasons of 30 home runs. He also stole his 26th base that day. On September 30, Lindor hit a game-winning two-run home run in the 9th inning. This helped the Mets get into the 2024 MLB postseason.

In 2024, Lindor played in 152 games. He hit .273 with 33 home runs and 29 stolen bases. In the 2024 National League Division Series, he hit a grand slam in Game 4. This helped the Mets win and move on to the next round. He became only the third player ever to hit two grand slams in the postseason. After the season, he won his fourth Silver Slugger Award. He was also a finalist for the National League MVP award for the first time, finishing second in the voting.

Playing for His Country

World Junior Baseball Championship (2010)

In 2010, Lindor played for the 18U United States team. They played in the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship in Canada. Even though they only lost one game, they finished in fifth place. Lindor was named to the All-IBAF Juniors Team as a shortstop.

World Baseball Classic (2017 & 2023)

Lindor played for the Puerto Rican national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He was named the MVP of Pool D, where Puerto Rico won all three of their games. He hit .455 with two home runs and four RBIs in the first round. Puerto Rico went undefeated until they lost to the United States in the championship game. After the tournament, he was named to the 2017 All-WBC team.

Lindor played for Puerto Rico again in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was even chosen as the team captain by his teammates. He hit .450 with six runs and five RBIs. He also hit an amazing inside-the-park home run that helped Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic. This win meant Puerto Rico moved on to the quarterfinals and qualified for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Awards and Special Achievements

4× MLB All-Star (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
3× All-MLB Second Team (2022–2024)
4× Silver Slugger at shortstop (2017, 2018, 2023, 2024)
2× Gold Glove at shortstop (2016, 2019)
Platinum Glove (2016)
American League Rookie of the Month (September 2015)
American League Player of the Month (May 2018)
4× American/National League Player of the Week (May 6, 2018; May 13, 2018; May 29, 2022; August 25, 2024)
Marvin Miller Man of the Year (2022)

Milestones Achieved

30–30 club (2023)

League Leader in Stats

Assists at shortstop (2023)
2× At bats (2017, 2018)
Double plays turned at shortstop (2017)
3× Plate appearances (2017, 2018, 2020)
Putouts at shortstop (2022)
Runs scored (2018)
Sacrifice flies (2016)
Sacrifice hits (2015)