Javier Baez vs Francisco Lindor: Who’s the better shortstop?

Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor are among the elite in baseball, but who is better?

Childhood friends turned major league studs, Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor are at the top of the world in baseball as they head the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. Both have had their many ups in their careers, nearing MVP trophies and winning Gold Gloves. And they have certainly had their downs, as Lindor is in the midst of his worst season as a pro in his first with the Mets. But when it comes to who is the better overall shortstop, you have to go based on consistency and also what have they done lately. Let’s take a closer look.

In 2020, Baez called Lindor the best shortstop in baseball ahead of a game between the Cubs and Cleveland Indians.

"“I believe he’s the best shortstop in the game right now from our generation,” Baez said, as transcribed by The Chicago Tribune."

This season, Lindor is batting a career-low .198 batting average with 4 home runs and 11 RBI in 45 games. Far from the expected output of him when the Mets made the move to acquire him and give him his big contract. On the other side is Baez, who has returned to the form that saw him as an All-Star in 2018 and 2019. He’s currently hitting .260 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI, including a .809 OPS in 48 games. A huge difference on the offensive side between the two childhood friends.

Who’s the better shortstop, Francisco Lindor or Javier Baez?

It’s not just about now, but their entire careers as well.

Lindor has a career .281 batting average and OPS of .821. His 162 game averages are 28 home runs and 83 RBI. Add in that he is a two-time Silver Slugger, two-time Gold Glove, and has even won the Platinum Glove. Baez, on the other hand, averages .264 batting and a .779 OPS in his career with a 162 game average of 27 home runs and 87 RBI. His hardware features a one-time Silver Slugger, a one-time Gold Glove recipient, and was awarded the NLCS MVP back in 2016 in the Cubs run to the World Series.

When breaking down all the numbers and taking a closer look as you see here, Lindor is clearly the more consistent player throughout their careers but Baez is not too far off. It’s actually stunning to see how close their numbers are, despite the hardware that Lindor has received as opposed to Baez.

As we get down to it, Baez has to be favored considering the closeness in statistics throughout their careers and what he is producing right now. Lindor’s numbers have to scare many while Baez is tops in the league. This should be a conversation between the two friends for years to come for sure.