Francisco Lindor holds the superstar edge in NLCS even if he wont win MVP
LOS ANGELES — Fairly, there really is only one true baseball comp for Shohei Ohtani, and it’s the fellow with the candy bar, legendary appetite and 714 home runs.So the most high profile matchup in this National League Championship Series isn’t really fair to Mets all-everything star Francisco Lindor, who impressively hung with Ohtani in the NL MVP race five solid months but lost after 1) Lindor suffered a rare injury that kept him out two weeks, and 2) Ohtani posted a fortnight for the ages.That MVP race will go to Ohtani unanimously unless there’s some crazy hater of designated hitters among the 30 voters.That seems about as unlikely than the Mets’ wonderful and unexpected run here to baseball’s final four.But now, heading into this NLCS, Lindor may actually hold the edge among the biggest of the superstars.
Ohtani is showing a winning personality now that he’s moved close to Hollywood, but frankly, he looks off his game at the moment, doing almost nothing since hitting that majestic homer in Game 1 off Dylan Cease in the Dodgers’ just-concluded Division Series.(Look away Dodgers fans.)I received a two-word text in Game 5 from a trusted NL scout known for succinctness.“Ohtani stinks.”That’s quite an exaggeration, but let me put it another way.
Ohtani, who raked vs.the Mets this year (1.143 OPS), definitely looked lost in the deciding Game 5 (0-for-4, three strikeouts).
That game was won on two homers by the Hernandez boys, Kiké and Teoscar, the $375.6 million free agent (counting posting fee) Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a trio of shutdown relievers, who represent the Dodgers’ real edge now.So fairly, at the moment Lindor looks like the better player.He carried this Mets team almost literally on his back (which was ailing but obviously is all better now), transporting them into a postseason they never were supposed to make with the first greatest home run in franchise history (before Pete Alonso topped it by telling Milwaukee to hold my beer...