The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets playing in the National League Championship Series not only represented a marquee matchup between West Coast and East Coast, but it’s featured MVP candidates Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor.
Now in his 10th season, Lindor has become the face of the Mets franchise, leading them to where they are now. Lindor’s strong play helping turn the Mets’ fortunes around also coincided with a late push to overtake Ohtani as the NL MVP favorite.
While the two have been pitted against each other for MVP consideration and now the NL pennant, Lindor has plenty of respect for Ohtani.
“I admire his shoes. He’s got cool cleats,” Lindor began.
“I admire the ability to stay within himself. I mean, he’s a guy that, from day one, has had a lot of pressure on him. There’s been a lot of eyes and cameras on him, and his ability to stay within himself and to not get too big and to stay the course, that, to me, that’s brilliant.
“He’s done a fantastic job of everywhere he’s gone, he has managed to maneuver himself the right way. He plays the game the right way. I respect that. I feel like he respects his peers, whether they wear the same uniform, or the other uniform, and it’s been fun to watch him come into the league and become as good as he has.”
Both players lead off for their respective teams, and each has home-run pop. Ohtani had a number of those this year, and Lindor had his own in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, giving the Mets a lead that they never relinquished.
Hoping to put their respective team into the World Series, the pair of opposing superstars have adjoined admiration for one another.
Francisco Lindor’ NLCS stats
While Lindor had a leadoff home run that sparked the Mets in Game 2, he otherwise has been relatively quiet at the plate through the NLCS thus far.
Lindor did have two hits in Game 4, but with that also came a pair of strikeouts as well.
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