Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a first-ballot Hall of Fame player and is considered one of the greatest shortstops ever.
Jeter achieved many awards and won five World Series titles in his MLB career, all with the Yankees. Many players in today’s MLB grew up idolizing Jeter and wished to be just like him one day.
Though reaching Jeter’s heights is a large task, one current New York shortstop is on track to earn a spot in Cooperstown when all is said and done.
New York Mets Shortstop Francisco Lindor Has Over 50 WAR Like Derek Jeter
While New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hasn’t won a World Series yet in his career, he has finally found his stride in Queens and is showing the world that he is a star. Though he hasn’t always been shown as much respect as he deserves during his Mets career, he is reaching milestones that are making his production hard to ignore.
Lindor’s latest career achievement is reaching the 50-WAR benchmark. Jeter, who was a 71.3 WAR player, was the last shortstop to reach the 50-WAR threshold. Even more notable, each of the previous six shortstops to reach this mark is in the Hall of Fame.
At this point, Lindor has accumulated 50.8 WAR throughout his 11-year MLB career, including 1.0 in 2025. His career high was 7.3 WAR in 2018. Many view the 60-WAR benchmark as a “Hall of Fame” threshold. At just 31 years old and still posting MVP-caliber numbers, Lindor looks like he will blow by 60 WAR and be a slam-dunk first-ballot Hall of Famer.
According to the official MLB website, WAR “measures a player’s value in all facets of the game by deciphering how many more wins he’s worth than a replacement-level player at his same position (e.g., a Minor League replacement or a readily available fill-in free agent).
ANOTHER LEADOFF HOME RUN FOR FRANCISCO LINDOR! pic.twitter.com/TWt3FuF3q7
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 9, 2025
For example, if a shortstop and a first baseman offer the same overall production (on offense, defense and the basepaths), the shortstop will have a better WAR because his position sees a lower level of production from replacement-level players.”
Evaluators view shortstop as one of the premier, if not the premier, positions in baseball. So, Lindor’s production, which includes above-average hitting, power, fielding, and baserunning, is held in the highest regards. It’s one of a few reasons why teams are willing to commit long-term deals to middle infielders like Lindor and not sluggers like teammate Pete Alonso.
FRANCISCO LINDOR WITH THE BAREHAND! pic.twitter.com/3KWXFljzYe
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 9, 2025
Despite his greatness, one major piece missing from Lindor’s resume is a World Series title. Jeter won five in his career (which is a huge part of his lore). Lindor reached the World Series with the Cleveland Indians in 2016, a team that blew a 3-1 game advantage and eventually lost the series to the Chicago Cubs.
Lindor was a huge part of the 2024 Mets magical run to the National League Championship Series. After a big offseason and a fast start to 2025, Lindor and company look like they’re on a mission to overthrow the Los Angeles Dodgers as world champions. If that happens, Lindor’s legacy will be cemented.