Francisco Lindor celebrates his arrival in Queens

The Mets ’debut in the newly started campaign had to be postponed after their first series against the Nationals had to be canceled last weekend due to several contagions with COVID-19 to the Washington team. And after a short series that they lost 2-1 to the Phillies in Philadelphia, the return to New York for their first game of the campaign at Citi Field was anticipated by the Mets.

Puerto Rican player Francisco Lindor himself is expressing his excitement on the networks for his soon-to-be debut at his new home this Thursday at 1.10 against the Miami Marlins. This first game in the ‘Big Apple’, specifically in Queens County, was highly anticipated by the Mets fans who celebrated on January 7 the change that brought Lindor and Venezuelan pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the ranks of the New Yorkers, from the Cleveland Indians.

A commercial video of the signature Oakley glasses, in which he appears as the central figure, announces the Puerto Rican player with drums and cymbals. “There’s a new king in Queens,” a background voice is heard as images of the city as well as player run through the video.

Lindor shared the video on her social media accounts, with the caption “Day One in Queens.” And indeed it will be the first of what is expected to be a very long career in New York, as it is contractually bound for the next 11 seasons, including the current one.

The 27-year-old shortstop who spent his first six seasons in the Majors with the Indians, has just made history as the player in his position with the richest contract in history in Major Leagues, by agreeing for $ 341 million and 10 seasons. In general this contractual extension is surpassed only by the contracts of two superstars like Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, both patrolmen.

Prior to the extension, he already had $ 22.3 million insured for this 2021 campaign, after which he would have become a free agent for failing to reach a multi-year agreement with the Mets.

Winner of two Golden Gloves and two Silver Bats, Lindor came to a Mets who want to curb an unclassified drought in the postseason, as well as harbor hopes of winning a World Series title for the first time in 35 years.

The cagüeño who was part of the baptized ‘Team Rubio’ of Puerto Rico that reached the runner-up in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, arrives at this Thursday’s game beating just 182 with two hits in 11 rounds and only three games. And just like it happened in the preseason exhibition games, the fans look forward to seeing their reaction.

In the first week and a half of the spring games, prior to the start of the campaign, Lindor barely beat .222 with two hits in nine innings, with no homers or rushing runs. But the rest of March ignited and ended the pre-season action averaging 370 with four homers and 14 towed in the blink of an eye, including a ‘grand slam’ as negotiations on his megacontract continued.