Francisco Lindor joins elite MLB group in Mets' rout of Yankees

The Mets shortstop became only the second player this season to reach 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, along with Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Meanwhile, according to OptaStats, he's only the fourth player in major league history to record four or more 20-20 seasons while winning multiple Gold Gloves, joining Jimmy Rollins, Alex Rodriguez and Joe Morgan.

Likewise, Lindor also etched his name into the Subway Series record books. According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, he and former Yankees backstop Jorge Posada are the only two players in the matchup's history to record two multi-homer games.

The 30-year-old is having one of the best seasons of his career, and a lineup change might be the reason. As ESPN's Jeff Passan pointed out, since moving to the leadoff spot for the Mets on May 18, Lindor ranks among the top 10 in several categories, including home runs (14, ninth), stolen bases (14, sixth) and WAR (4.1, third).

Lindor's play has also translated into wins for the Mets, who are 13-7 in July and have won three in a row and four of their last five. They remain 10.5 games behind the MLB-leading Philadelphia Phillies (64-38) for first in the NL East but just a half-game back of the Atlanta Braves (54-46) for the top wild-card spot.

The Mets have an awful lot of work to do to secure a playoff berth, and they may find some help via the trade market ahead of the deadline. But one thing is for sure—Lindor has helped jump-start the once-struggling club, propelling himself into the NL MVP race.

Entering Wednesday's action, Lindor owned the fourth-best odds (+3200) to win the award, per FanDuel Sportsbook.