Francisco Lindor named All-Star for first time with Mets. These 3 should be there too
Despite three straight seasons cracking the top 10 in National League Most Valuable Player voting, slow starts had plagued Lindor in the past. With an electric start to 2025, the Mets shortstop earned the selection by topping the Dodgers' Mookie Betts in the second phase of All-Star voting.
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When he takes the field as the NL's starting shortstop on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Lindor will be making his fifth appearance as an All-Star and first as a member of the NL. He appeared in four straight seasons for Cleveland between 2016 and 2019.
"It's a real honor. I'm honored and I'm proud to be able to take the field in Atlanta as Met," Lindor said. "It's gonna be good. I'm looking forward to it. There's a lot of good people in this organization and to be able to represent them, I do that with a lot of pride and utmost respect.
"It's a great organization and I'm looking forward to it to represent the Mets organization, the fans that voted me in and my family."
Lindor becomes the Mets' first fan-elected All-Star starter since Yoenis Cespedes started in the outfield in 2016. He becomes the Mets' third starting NL shortstop, joining Buddy Harrelson (1971) and Jose Reyes (2007).
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After Wednesday's doubleheader split, Lindor was slashing .2261/.330/.457 with 17 home runs, 46 RBI, 52 runs, 16 doubles and 13 stolen bases.
Here are three other Mets players who deserve a trip to Atlanta as members of the National League All-Star team:
Pete Alonso
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates in the dugout with his teammates after scoring in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves on June 26, 2025, at Citi Field
Alonso was a finalist in the National League's second phase of voting, alongside the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman.
The Mets first baseman entered Wednesday's second game of the doubleheader slashing .291/.381/.539 with 18 home runs, 66 RBIs and 47 runs. He leads the National League with 24 doubles.
Alonso's RBIs are the third-most in the NL behind the Cubs' Seiya Suzuki and Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez. Alonso's .920 OPS is fourth-best in the NL and tops among the league's first baseman.
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The 31-year-old has far better numbers approaching the break than a season ago when he logged his fourth selection with a .240/.319/.454 slash line, including 19 home runs and 51 RBI at the break.
Juan Soto
New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves on June 25, 2025, at Citi Field.
Juan Soto is one of the hottest players in baseball, quickly erasing a sluggish start with one of the best months in MLB this season.
In the month of June, Soto slashed .322/.474/.722 with 11 home runs, 20 RBI and 25 runs.
Obviously earning an All-Star selection is based on the totality of a player's season, and now Soto has done enough to warrant a look. Entering Wednesday night's second half of the doubleheader, Soto is slashing .256/.392/.502 with 20 home runs, 47 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
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Soto is third in the National League with 62 runs and leads all of Major League Baseball with 69 walks. His .392 on-base percentage trails only the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Cubs' Kyle Tucker in baseball.
Soto, who was one of the finalists for the second phase of voting, is a four-time All-Star — twice with the Nationals and one apiece with the Padres and Yankees.
Edwin Diaz
May 26, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after recording a strike out to end the top of the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Edwin Diaz has returned to his dominant form after a middling campaign a season ago.
The Mets closer has allowed seven earned runs in 33 innings (1.91 ERA) while converting 17 out of his 18 save opportunities. He has also struck out 49 batters and produced a WHIP of 0.91.
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Diaz has allowed one earned run in his last 23 outings, covering 23⅓ innings. He entered Wednesday in the top 2 percent of Major League Baseball in expected ERA (2.25), expected batting average (.166), whiff rate (38.7 percent) and strikeout rate (36.8 percent).
An All-Star selection would be Diaz's third after he earned a nod in 2022 for the Mets and 2018 for the Mariners.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Francisco Lindor named All-Star for first time with NY Mets
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