Francisco Lindor is Far From Clutch and it's Going to Cost the Indians

We don't have to tell you that Francisco Lindor is one of the best young shortstops in all of baseball.

Mr. Smile has made the All-Star game four years running, deservedly so. In each of those seasons he's hitting north of .270, averaging just under 29 home runs and 82 RBI.

Where Lindor has failed to deliver for the Cleveland Indians, however, is arguably the most important aspect in the game -- hitting with runners in scoring positions. In 2019, he's slashing a woeful .210/.307/.324.

The 25-year-old stud was presented with a tremendous opportunity to bring the Tribe back into the game on Wednesday, trailing the White Sox 5-3 in the seventh inning of a must-win game. Cleveland had runners on first and second with two outs, and Lindor ended up striking out.

We don't doubt for a second that Terry Francona would want Lindor, and only Lindor, up in that spot, but he's proved to be anything but clutch this campaign.

The two-time Silver Slugger was gifted another chance to spark a comeback in the ninth frame with the bases loaded and the Indians trailing 8-3 with two outs. Sure, a comeback was highly improbable, but the tying run was on deck should Lindor make something happen. Instead, he struck out on five pitches.

We obviously aren't basing this opinion based just on last night's 0-for-5, but it was a perfect testament to the shortstop's palpable struggles in the clutch.

With the Twins clinching the AL Central on Wednesday night, Cleveland's only playoff hopes lie with clinching a Wild Card berth, a race they are 1.5 games behind with just four games remaining on their schedule.

There's still a chance, but it won't be thanks to Lindor's clutch factor. In fact, it might just be the Indians downfall.