Lindor wins Roberto Clemente Award, the one bright note from a 73-win season

Francisco Lindor has won the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball's annual recognition for the player who best combines on-field performance with community service and humanitarian work. The announcement came after a Mets season that finished 73–87, fifth in the NL East.

The award is separate from anything that happened between the lines this year, where Lindor's season was a difficult one by his standards. It recognizes the work he has done off the field, and on that measure the recognition is straightforward. The Roberto Clemente Award carries particular weight given the legacy it honors — Clemente remains one of the sport's most enduring figures precisely because of his humanitarian commitment — and Lindor's selection places him in notable company.

For the Mets, it is the cleaner piece of news to close a difficult year. The team also had three players named Gold Glove finalists, per recent coverage, so the postseason hardware conversation has not been entirely absent. But the on-field story was largely one of injuries, inconsistency, and a final record that represents a step back from the 83- and 86-win seasons that preceded it.