Francisco Lindor found a special way to leave his mark on Major League Baseball history. The New York Mets shortstop hit his 15th home run of the season during Tuesday’s September 1 action, reaching a milestone that allowed him to move past one of the greatest legends ever to play the position: Derek Jeter.

The home run came in Lindor’s first at-bat of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays and carried an additional storyline, as it came against his former teammate Freddy Peralta, who was acquired by Tampa Bay from the Mets at the trade deadline. The blast briefly put New York ahead, although the Mets ultimately suffered a 6-2 loss.

Lindor moves past Derek Jeter

According to a stat published by StatsCentre, the home run gave Lindor 10 seasons in his career with at least 15 home runs while primarily playing shortstop.

That total allowed the Puerto Rican shortstop to move past Derek Jeter, who accomplished the feat in nine seasons under the same criteria. Lindor now ranks second all-time in this category, trailing only Cal Ripken Jr., who reached the mark in 13 seasons.

The all-time leaderboard is as follows:

• 13 — Cal Ripken Jr.
• 10 — Francisco Lindor
• 9 — Derek Jeter
• 9 — Miguel Tejada
• 9 — Corey Seager
• 8 — Ernie Banks
• 8 — Alex Rodriguez
• 8 — Troy Tulowitzki
• 8 — Carlos Correa
• 8 — Trea Turner

The comparison becomes even more significant considering the names on the list. Lindor has now moved past Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada, with only Cal Ripken Jr. ahead of him in this particular category among shortstops who have produced at least 15 home runs in a season.

Another Mets record within Lindor’s reach

Lindor’s home run against Peralta also carried significance in Mets franchise history. According to MLB, it was the 16th leadoff home run of his career with New York Mets. With that total, the shortstop moved within five of the 21 leadoff home runs shared by Curtis Granderson and José Reyes, who sit atop the Mets’ all-time leaderboard in that category.

Lindor’s performance did not end with the home run. He also drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning, driving in New York’s second run and accounting directly for both of his team’s scores.

Lindor on reuniting with Freddy Peralta

After the game, Lindor was asked whether he noticed anything different about Freddy Peralta compared with when the two were teammates with the New York Mets.

The Puerto Rican was straightforward in his response, emphasizing the quality of the Dominican right-hander despite having taken him deep to open the game.

“No, not really. He’s very similar to how he was in Milwaukee as well. Freddy is a tough pitcher. He’s a really good pitcher,” Lindor said in an interview published by SNY Mets on X.

The matchup ultimately favored the Dominican pitcher, who settled in after Lindor’s home run and allowed just one more hit during the remainder of his outing, helping Tampa Bay secure the victory.

Lindor’s numbers in 2026

Following Tuesday’s game, Francisco Lindor is hitting .232 with 15 home runs, 36 RBIs and a .747 OPS, according to Baseball Reference.

Although his offensive numbers remain below some of his best seasons, the Puerto Rican continues to add chapters to a career that already places him among the most productive shortstops of his generation.

Now, he has another argument to strengthen that case: Francisco Lindor can officially say that he has surpassed Derek Jeter in a historic category measuring sustained power production from the shortstop position.

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