Francisco Lindor is now widely considered the leader of the Mets as their longest-tenured hitter, but seniority doesn't guarantee captaincy.
In fact, there isn't any player on the roster who should expect that title and status under Steve Cohen's watch, as the Mets owner revealed Monday he'll never appoint a captain while in control of the franchise.
"As long as I'm owning the team, there will never be a team captain," Cohen said at the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie. "That was my decision. My view is, the locker room is unique and let the locker room sort it out, year-in, year-out. There'll never be a captain. I've felt that way all along."
Following the exit of slugger Pete Alonso, who became the Mets' all-time home runs leader before signing with the Orioles in free agency this winter, all signs pointed toward Lindor -- their de facto captain -- eventually earning the rank officially.
Lindor was an obvious candidate, considering the leadership traits and responsibilities he's assumed since joining the Mets in 2021. Just last spring, when the Mets reportedly mulled the idea of naming him captain, the veteran shortstop expressed the possibility as "an honor and a privilege."
"The captain thing is not up for me to decide. If it does happen, it would be fantastic, an honor and a privilege," Lindor said a year ago. "Something I would never take for granted. Something that would put me next to the greats of this organization forever and It would be very humbling."
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza even admitted to having captain conversations. He told WFAN last February he shared feelings on Lindor to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, contending, "he doesn’t have the ‘C’ on [his uniform], but he’s doing a lot of the things that a captain will do."
Lindor also received an endorsement from Mets legend John Franco -- the third captain in franchise history -- who ran into the switch-hitter last spring training and told him he wants to see that 'C' on his uniform.
The only wrinkle was Mendoza never talked to Cohen on the matter then, which explains the change in tune now and why the Mets aren't inclined to name a fifth captain in franchise history and their first since David Wright.
"The way we see it is we have a bunch of guys there who are part of that leadership group," Mendoza said. "We lost a few guys who were part of that group, and then we gained some guys who have done that -- so I think when you're talking about a major league locker room, you need to have not only one guy, but a few guys."
The story of Cohen's reign can't be told without Lindor, however. He was acquired by the Mets in a blockbuster trade with the then-Indians five winters ago, and their commitment to a long-term relationship was cemented when Lindor signed a10-year contract extension prior to Opening Day.
Since then, Lindor has slashed .261/.338/.462 with 148 doubles, 141 home runs, and 445 RBI across 758 total games with the Mets. He nearly captured NL MVP honors in 2024, finishing second in the race, and earned Silver Slugger awards in 2023 and 2024.
There have only been four official captains in Mets history -- Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter,Franco, and Wright -- and the exclusive group isn't accepting new members, according to the boss.