Heading into the 2025 MLB season, there was a lot of chatter about the New York Mets potentially naming star shortstop Francisco Lindor as the team’s fifth official captain in franchise history.
This chatter reached a point where Lindor had to address it on a June 17 episode of The Show: A NY Post Baseball Podcast by saying, “Yeah, I mean, [being named captain] something that’s gonna have to come from internally. And if it does happen, it would be an honor, and something that I wouldn’t take for granted. I definitely wouldn’t take a title like that lightly.
“You know, I will continue to be Francisco Lindor… And if they decide to name me [captain], it would be an honor. You know, it would be extremely special. It’s something that I could tell my kids and my grandkids one day,” Lindor added.
Sep 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
There’s no question that Lindor is among the leaders in the Mets’ clubhouse. However, other guys could also be deserving of the captain title. For example, Juan Soto said that he believed veteran Starling Marte is “literally the leader of this team, I feel like he’s actually the captain of this team,” in an August 27 article from Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Another potential Mets captain could be Brandon Nimmo. Not only is he beloved among his teammates and New York’s fan base, but he’s the longest tenured Mets player by a long shot, having been drafted by the team in 2011 and making his MLB debut in 2015.
Read more: Juan Soto’s comfort level with Mets could be harmed by coaching departure
Adam Ottavino Suggests Brandon Nimmo Didn’t Like Francisco Lindor Captain Talk
A November 19 live stream that former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino did on his YouTube channel has thrown the Mets baseball community for a loop. In addition to blasting Carlos Mendoza for the staggering number of injuries Mets pitchers dealt with this season, he also sent an interesting message about Nimmo.
“Brandon is a very proud player. Brandon got pissed when they did a Yankees-Mets team a couple years ago, and [SNY insider] Andy Martino had [Alex] Verdugo as the left fielder and not Nimmo. Like, I saw Nimmo go at Andy Martino in the hallway about that. And I was like, ‘Damn, you really read the paper like that? You care about what the talking heads say that much? That’s surprising to me,'” Ottavino said.
“Also, I don’t think he liked any of the talk about Lindor being the [Mets] captain,” Ottavino added. “Just based on the article I read. I don’t know any of that on the inside… I think [Nimmo is] a little proud of a player.”
Adam Ottavino on Brandon Nimmo:
“ Brandon got pissed when Andy Martino did a Yankees-Mets team and he had Alex Verdugo above him. Also I don’t think he liked any of the talk about Lindor being captain.“
Via @metsnewsletter #LGM
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) November 21, 2025
Ottavino is just speculating about how Nimmo might view Lindor potentially being captain. But he was a part of the team’s clubhouse from 2022 to 2024 and could have a better understanding of Nimmo’s personality and feelings than just about anyone else.
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