Before the 2021 season started, top shortstops Francisco Lindor and Fernando Tatis Jr. each agreed to a contract extension. Lindor and the Mets agreed to a 10-year, $341 million deal. Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres decided to ink a 14-year, $ 340 million contract.
Both contract extensions were huge news in baseball. It certainly showed that the Mets were confident to see Lindor play well in New York and at the same time, the Padres believed that Tatis Jr. would be the cornerstone of the team.
It’s been 3 years since these 2 players each signed a contract extension. And now, it might be a possible moment to review these 2 players’ performances after agreeing to a contract extension.
Over the last 3 seasons, Lindor played 446 games for the Mets, hitting .254/.333/.447 with 77 home runs, 268 RBI and 57 stolen bases. At the same time, Fernando Tatis Jr. played 271 games for the Padres, slashing .269/.342/.522 with 67 home runs, 175 RBI and 54 stolen bases. The main reason why Tatis Jr. didn’t play as many games as Lindor did was that Tatis Jr. missed much time due to injuries and PED suspension, in particular, Tatis Jr. didn’t play any games in the 2022 season.
As we can see, Lindor played more games that Tatis Jr. did and Lindor collected more hits than Tatis Jr. did. Nonetheless, Tatis Jr. has a batting average of .269 and his OPS is .864, both are higher than Lindor’s.
Now, let’s look at fielding stats. After agreeing to a contract extension, Lindor is the everyday shortstop for the Mets. Over the last 3 seasons, Lindor had 30 errors and his fielding percentage was .982. Nonetheless, for the Padres, things are quite different. Tatis Jr.’s primary position was shortstop in 2021. However, he committed 21 errors in 102 games and his fielding percentage was .940 as a shortstop. Additionally, Tatis Jr. played 24 games as an outfielder and had 1 error. In 2023, Tatis Jr.’s primary position was right fielder. He played 137 games as a RF and committed 6 errors.
Tatis Jr. was expected to be the Padres’ everyday shortstop. Nonetheless, he really struggled defensively at shortstop. Lindor had 30 errors over the last 3 seasons. But, Tatis Jr. had 21 errors over 102 games in 2021. Last season, Fernando Tatis Jr. was no longer the Padres’ everyday shortstop.
Back in 2021, the Mets and the Padres each agreed to a contract extension with their star shortstops. However, things might not go as expected. In particular, for the Padres, they did face some tough situations. The Padres had to move Tatis Jr. to the outfield because he struggled at defense as a shortstop. Moreover, he missed significant playing time because of injuries and PED suspension. Furthermore, last season, Tatis Jr. finished the season with an OPS of .771 and Lindor had an OPS over .800. Well, Tatis Jr. just turned 25 and Lindor turned 30 last November. In the 2024 season, it will be interesting to see if Tatis Jr. can bounce back. In the meantime, entering his 30’s, it will be worthwhile to see whether Lindor can still play well as a shortstop.
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