Major lineup change saved Marlins rivals' season

There are some interesting notes on some of the biggest rival teams of the Miami Marlins. The LCS in both leagues have also opened up some more intriguing discussions about payrolls. One new discussion can be the importance of lineups. The leadoff spot sets the table for everything to come, and it's clear that it can have massive implications down the line. That's exactly what happened with the New York Mets.

The Miami Marlins have a great example of how important lineup formations can be.

SS Xavier Edwards is the lead-off hitter for the Miami Marlins. The burgeoning superstar can really turn things around. A big reason why The Fish did so well in the final few weeks of the season, was his performance. He finished the season batting .328/.397/.423, with a home run and 26 RBI in 70 games and 265 AB. He had 33 stolen bases and was worth 2.0 WAR.

The New York Mets had an interesting situation on May 18. They had a 20-24 record and certainly didn't look like a playoff team. That's when their manager Carlos Mendoza put SS Francisco Lindor in the lead-off spot. They went 69-49 the rest of the way. Lindor turned himself into a legitimate NL MVP candidate.

Lindor batted .273/.344/.500, with 33 home runs and 91 RBI, in 152 games and 618 AB. He also stole 29 bases. He was worth 1.2 dWAR and 7.0 WAR. Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza had this to say:

“Not a secret, we were struggling offensively as a team. I remember it was after a tough loss in Miami. We were going back to the hotel, [and] I was right next to Francisco. We were having a lot of conversations, and then the lineup construction came up."

Francisco Lindor himself said this:

“I just love getting things started. I think it's kind of cool to be able to get a base hit, steal a base or [hit] a home run or a double. And you just get the crowd and team going.”

The New York Mets benefited a lot from having Francisco Lindor bat lead-off. The Miami Marlins need to remember this with all future lineup constructions.