Francisco Lindor has a lot to smile about.
The dynamo Mets shortstop joins Alexa on Zoom after breakfast on a sunny spring morning. He’s coming off one of countless memorable games this season at Citi Field; last night’s, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, saw him hitting a two-run homer that spawned a clip of Tom Hanks celebrating in the stands.
So how is Lindor, a k a Mr. Smile, this morning? “Fantastic!” he says with that signature grin. But he’s not dwelling on the memories of the game, he says. That’s part of a deliberate, mindful approach that keeps his eye on the ball — literally and otherwise — and his performance famously consistent. After a game, he allows himself to process what happened before he moves on. “I spend time on the field trying to, not meditate exactly, but just thinking about all the stuff that happened in the game,” he shares. “So then that’s off my brain. And I can go on and focus on recovery.”
(Our interview took place a few weeks before the star player suffered a broken pinky toe, but still managed to play all nine innings, in a tough loss against the LA Dodgers.)
Lindor displays that even-keeled leadership on the field, even after a thunderous hit. His secret? “Live in the moment,” he says. “When we’re not in the moment anymore, that’s when we start getting too hyper, too amped up. I have moments that create anxiety for me, and there’s moments I start dwelling on things, but I have worked at staying in the moment when I’m playing: Now I’m a hitter. Now I’m a base runner. I enjoy the moment, and then I’m in the dugout, and somebody else hit it. Now it’s their moment.”
Lindor’s philosophy also applies to his home life with his wife Katia, their two young daughters, Kalina and Amapola, and their newest team addition, son Koa, born in March. “Now I’m a dad; now I’m a husband; now I’m a friend to my wife: What does she need? That’s how I navigate life,” he says.
Koa’s arrival may have inspired Lindor to add a new walk-up song alongside his crowd-pleaser “My Girl,” which unfailingly gets the whole stadium singing. Now he alternates it with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” another ’60s classic that channels his can-do spirit and acknowledges this life shift: “The biggest change is that I don’t just say ‘my girls, my girls’ — now there’s a boy!”
When we speak, his wife and kids are in Orlando, Fla. “We have a lot of family there, we’re blessed,” says the 31-year old Lindor, who admits he’s missing them like crazy. “My cousin, he’s got two little girls too, so they all get to hang out. So I think they’re better off there right now.” (An adorable clip of the girls being reunited with their dad has gone viral.)
Lindor’s shoot with Alexa took place in beautiful Lake Nona, Fla., not far from his family in Orlando. “Right after one of the spring training days we drove down there,” he says. “There were a lot of good pieces I enjoyed wearing. From the pants to the tops to the shoes, it was out there — but at the same time, it was clean looks. I liked that.”
The shortstop has become a style icon who’s always changing up his look. This season, he says, “I’m gravitating toward a lot of creams and browns, more neutral colors. They’re speaking to me. It could be, like, a crop top, or baggy pants and a baggy shirt.” He hasn’t completely abandoned a splash of brightness, though: “I still force myself to wear colors. But I find myself more in the neutrals.”
When your style is a priority, dressing on the road seems like it could be limiting. But Lindor says it’s the opposite. “At home, it’s a little more difficult, because I have all the pieces. On the road, I plan it. I say, okay, I’ve got seven outfits. So now I know if I wear this today, I can’t wear it tomorrow. I can wear it four or five days after, but not the day after.”
He’s been a clotheshorse since he was a kid. “I grew up with girls, two sisters, who liked to dress up. And they wouldn’t let me leave the house if I didn’t look good! I’ve always loved Christmastime, because that was the opportunity for my mom to buy us clothes. In the summer, we just wore whatever. So I’ve always enjoyed that time of year, because it meant we were going to go pick up a nice outfit.
“As I got older,” he continues, “my taste got a little more refined. I work with a style coach, and I’ve learned from him how to put different materials together, and that’s helped a lot.”
Lindor’s love of fashion doesn’t stop with his street style. As Mets fans know, he’s famous for his eye-catching personalized baseball gloves. On Jackie Robinson Day this April, he debuted a glove honoring the legend, writing in an Instagram post: “Thank you Jackie for breaking barriers and inspiring generations. We play with purpose because of you #42.” He says every new glove gives him an energy burst: “I’m like a kid. I have something new in my hand. It’s very cool.” Lindor works with Rawlings to design the gloves, which the company sells in limited batches after their appearance on the field.
Lindor’s also long been known for his generous support of other players; he offers advice to younger teammates, and has been lauded for his welcoming reception to new star outfielder Juan Soto. “I talk a lot of s–t,” he joked in an interview with Foul Territory TV, going on to say that “I try to be the one that talks and also push the players to be better, and be there for them and back them up whenever they need to be backed up.” Not every player wants his help, he says, and that’s fine. For the ones who do, he tells us, “they’re going to come and talk to me, and I’ll guide them, and then off they go. We all have a different path.”
He’s also adamant about putting time into his schedule — and reaching into his bank account — to help inspire the next generation, from aspiring players to artistic dreamers. “The kids are the future, and it’s the best way we can impact the world,” he says, “by passing on knowledge and hopefully being a good example.” Lindor was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and moved to Florida at age 12 to attend Montverde Academy, known for its athletics programs. Drafted by Cleveland in 2011, he made his major league debut in 2015 before being traded to the Mets in 2021 and then signing a 10-year extension for $341 million, the third highest in league history at the time.
He’s donated regularly to his school, which named a building after him in 2013. “I’m all about education,” he says. “Each year I feel like I grow mentally and I gain more knowledge. We’re trying to create something where we help young musicians, young designers. Everybody wants to get a little bit smarter.”
At Citi Field, he’s been hosting “Lindor Smile Tuesdays,” where kids come to meet their hero and learn about how he keeps his pearly whites so dazzling. “It’s really cool,” he raves. “It’s an opportunity to gather a group of kids and tell them the story of my smile, and then I have a dentist with me; he’s more from the educating side, obviously.”
Turns out this is a man who is seriously interested in teeth. “I’ve always said if I wasn’t a baseball player, I would want to be a dentist,” he says. “I just love teeth and smiles. I feel like smiling’s infectious. If you’re having a tough day and someone smiles at you, you might smile back, and if you smile back it might turn your day around.”
He’ll be bringing his million-dollar smile to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where he’s just been named Puerto Rico’s captain for the second time. “It’s a privilege to represent the island,” he says. “I’m excited! I’m blessed.” He and his family try to get back to Puerto Rico four or five times a year. Whenever they go, his arrival is, shall we say, noted. “It’s crazy, it’s like a carnival!” he says. “Hopefully, that’s where we end up. When the kids are older, I would love to go back so they can have some of what their mom and I did growing up. To understand the culture.”
Given the breakneck pace of his life right now, when he gets back home, Lindor is mostly into hanging out at the homestead — or wherever his family leads him. “I’m a very, like, in-house type person,” he says with a laugh. “Katia is the one that takes me out. Whatever they decide to do, I go and do it. I’m perfectly fine doing all the things that they want me to do, but if it was for me, I’ll just sit by the pool and hang out.”
Meanwhile, the World Series looms large; the Mets have had a strong season opening, with Lindor delivering electrifying home runs. “I would love to win it all. We have a good team,” he says. But with his characteristic balanced approach, he adds, “having a good team doesn’t promise anything!”
Photographer: Eduardo Rezende; Editor: Serena French; Stylist: Anahita Moussavian; Photo Editor: Jessica Hober; Talent Booker: Patty Adams Martinez; Groomer: Casey Cheek for ABTP; Fashion Assistant: Jena Beck, Photo Assistant: Heribeth Rojas Ramos, Videographer: Matthew McDermott