Francisco Miguel Lindor (born November 14, 1993), nicknamed "Mr. Smile", is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He currently plays for the Cleveland Indians, with whom he made his MLB debut on June 14, 2015, and also participated with the Puerto Rico national baseball team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC). In 2016, he earned his first World Series appearance as a member of the American League pennant-winning Indians. With Puerto Rico, he was a silver medalist in the WBC. A right-handed thrower and switch hitter, Lindor stands 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and weighs 190 pounds (86 kg).
Lindor batted over .300 in both his first two major league seasons and provided outstanding defense. In 2016, he earned each of his first All-Star selection, Gold Glove Award, and Platinum Glove Award, becoming the first Puerto Rican shortstop to win the Gold Glove Award. He placed second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and was a selection to the 2017 All-World Baseball Classic Team.
Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Lindor began playing baseball at an early age, and he moved with his family to Florida when he was 12. He became the Indians' first round selection, and eighth overall, in the 2011 MLB draft. In the minor leagues, he participated in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game, and by 2013, was rated by Baseball America as the Indians' top overall prospect.
Video Francisco Lindor
Early life
Lindor was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, on November 14, 1993, the third of four children of Miguel Angel Lindor and Maria Serrano. He began playing baseball at a young age, assisted by his father, who would hit him ground balls from the top of a hill while the younger Lindor stood partway down the slope, attempting to field them. Lindor moved to Central Florida at the age of 12, with his father, stepmother and youngest sibling, and was enrolled at the Montverde Academy prep school. After he signed with the Cleveland Indians in August 2011, his mother and two older siblings joined him in Florida.
Maps Francisco Lindor
Professional career
Draft and early career
Lindor attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. The school's baseball facility was named after him in 2013. He was named to the USA Today All-USA high school baseball team. The Indians drafted Lindor in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft. He had full-ride scholarship offer in place with the Florida State Seminoles baseball team, but chose to sign with the Indians for $2.9 million in August. In September, Lindor was drafted by the Indios de Mayagüez in the second round of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente's (LBPRC) first year draft. However, he has been unable to play there due to Cleveland's intervention. On May 7, 2014, the Indios de Mayagüez traded Lindor's LBPRC player rights to the Gigantes de Carolina in exchange for Carlos Correa. However, only two weeks later the Cangrejeros de Santurce signed him by exploiting a legal loophole declaring that any player that has not been officially contracted within three years after being drafted is considered a free agent.
Minor leagues (2011-2015)
Lindor began his professional career appearing in five games with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers during the 2011 season. MLB.com rated Lindor as the 32nd best prospect in baseball before the 2012 season. He was assigned to the Lake County Captains of the Class A Midwest League, and named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. With Lake County, Lindor had a .257 batting average with 33 extra-base hits and 27 stolen bases.
Prior to the 2013 season, Baseball America ranked him as the Indians top prospect. Lindor started the 2013 season with the Carolina Mudcats of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. He was promoted to the Akron Aeros of the Class AA Eastern League on July 15, 2013. Between the two levels, Lindor batted .303 with 31 extra-base hits, 25 stolen bases, and 34 runs batted in.
Lindor began the 2014 season with Akron. The Indians promoted Lindor to the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League on July 21, 2014. Lindor began the 2015 season with Columbus.
Cleveland Indians (2015-present)
The Indians purchased Lindor's contract from Columbus on June 14, 2015 and added him to the active roster. He made his debut with the Indians that day as a pinch hitter. He stayed in the game and recorded his first major league hit. Lindor won the American League Rookie of the Month Award for September, during which he batted .362. He finished the 2015 season with a .313 batting average, 12 home runs, 51 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 22 doubles in 99 games for the Indians. He placed second in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting.
In 2016, Lindor finished season with a .301 batting average, 15 home runs, 78 RBI, 19 stolen bases and 30 doubles in 158 games for the Indians. He was named a Gold Glove Award Finalist in the AL Shortstop position along José Iglesias and Andrelton Simmons. In the 2016 MLB postseason, Lindor's seven multi-hit games broke the record for most ever for a player less than 23 years old. His 16 postseason hits are also the most hits by a Cleveland batter since 1997, and he's the youngest Cleveland batter to have six World Series hits. Following the 2016 season, Lindor was presented with his first Gold Glove Award and first Platinum Glove Award. Lindor was the 2016 Esurance MLB/This Year in Baseball Award winner for Best Defensive Player.
On April 5, 2017, Lindor hit his first career grand slam, doing so against the Texas Rangers, as the Indians won 9-6 and swept the season-opening series. On July 22, 2017 Lindor hit his first career walk-off home run in the 10th inning versus the Toronto Blue Jays for a 2-1 victory.
In Game 2 of the 2017 ALDS versus the New York Yankees, Lindor became the third shortstop in major league history to hit a grand slam in the postseason.
End of season awards for Lindor in 2017 included selection as shortstop on Baseball America's All-MLB Team.
International career
World Baseball Classic
Lindor played for the Puerto Rican national team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He was selected the MVP of Pool D, where team Puerto Rico attained a 3-0 record. His offensive stats in the first round included: 5 hits in 11 at bats for a .455 average, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, and 4 runs. Puerto Rico went undefeated in the first and second rounds until losing to the United States in the championship game. Following the conclusion of the tournament, he was named to the 2017 All-World Baseball Classic team.
See also
- Cleveland Indians award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Francisco Lindor on Twitter
Source of article : Wikipedia
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