Mets' Francisco Lindor still a fan of new rules

New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor hasn't changed his mind following the start of the season about the new MLB rules, including a ban on the infield defensive shift. 

"I’m happy that there’s no shift," Lindor told Mike Puma of the New York Post. "I think it’s great for the game. I think it creates more plays and also forces players to trust more of their instincts: To be more alert, to be more in the game, to anticipate more. … Before, I could look around and then they hit the ball, one step, catch it and throw. Now the ball that was one step is three or four steps." 

In September, Lindor noted that the elimination of the polarizing shift would increase his chances of making "good plays and crazy plays" at shortstop. In February, the 29-year-old explained that he watched clips featuring retired players such as Derek Jeter and Jose Reyes to aid him in preparing to play the position with his feet touching the dirt and always on the same side of second base before pitches are delivered. 

"I still have got my cards, and other departments here are still doing a good job of positioning us and then [infield coach] Joey Cora being on top of us," Lindor told Puma about continuing to make adjustments and improvements. "I’m preparing, and the analytics department is preparing us to be in the right position." 

Lindor is a two-time Gold Glove winner but hasn't earned the honor since 2019 when he was with what are now known as the Cleveland Guardians. The four-time All-Star is looking to remedy that this season. 

"I take a lot of pride in what I do, and, yeah, hopefully, I get nominated first," he said. "We still have got a long year and a lot of things can happen, but if I win a Gold Glove it means I helped my teammates save runs and helped them get out of innings and I did my job." 

After the Mets began the season at 3-4, a confident Lindor declared he still believed the club has "the 'it' factor" and "what it takes" to win the World Series. One couldn't help but notice how he sounded like somebody who could one day be named Mets captain with the way he handled his media obligations after a disappointing three-game sweep at the Milwaukee Brewers.