Espresso Anywhere with Francisco Lindor

The Mets’ shortstop has brought espresso into the heart of the clubhouse.

———

Written by Ben Blake
Visuals by Jacob Ingle and Josh Heinrich

Walking into a Major League stadium in the middle of the day feels almost like trespassing on something sacred. There’s no buzz in the crowd, no crackle from the loudspeakers, no smell of hot dogs in the air. Just a quiet, open field and a clubhouse in motion. Players, coaches, and staff shuffling about. It’s workaday, almost, but filled with routine, ritual, and preparation.

Pre-game has long been wrapped in myth and superstition. Ask ten players what preparation for gameday looks like, and you’ll get ten entirely different answers. In this world of idiosyncrasies and merging interests, it’s not surprising that one of the newest pregame rituals in the Mets’ dugout doesn’t involve a bat or glove—but a portafilter.

Tucked into a quiet corner of the New York Mets’ weight room—just a few doors from the dugout—is a Linea Mini. Next to it: a Pico surrounded by bags from recent road trips, a cluster of mugs, cups, and clipboards. The setup is understated, but it stands out amongst the machines, bars, and weights. A workhorse of a different kind that’s part of the gameday rhythm.

Baseball is historically a game made up of moments. Unlike the relentlessness of a shot clock or the inevitability of a final buzzer, it waits. And in that waiting, players spend hours refining the smallest details of their craft, hoping to meet the moment fully when it finally arrives. Watching film, adjusting grips, resetting mechanics, making tiny refinements. The parallels of dialing in a shot of espresso are everywhere: quiet, intuitive, scientific, and entirely personal.

At the center of this clubhouse ritual is star shortstop Francisco Lindor, alongside Mets’ Communications Director Zach Weber. Together, they’ve cultivated an espresso culture that’s moved beyond the weight room at home and into a traveling Linea Micra setup (complete with a custom Pelican Case) that goes with the Mets on the road.

On a quiet afternoon in late summer, Lindor and a few of the team’s most devoted espresso drinkers welcomed us into that routine.

Let’s start with home. What’s your current espresso setup?

What machine do you use, grinder, any accessories—or little rituals that make it feel like your space?

I have two machines, one in my home in New York City and the other in Orlando, where I spend the off-season. In New York, my machine is set up near the kitchen right next to the fridge. In Florida, I have a little nook set up near my office. It’s in a hallway next to my wine collection. I’ve also got every gadget possible that every coffee fanatic needs or wants.

Of course, we also have our machine at the ballpark, which is in the weight room.

What does your perfect morning routine look like?

On a day off or a game day, what kind of start sets the tone?

I get up and at home I have a timer, so I set the machine to turn on starting at 5:30 a.m. Usually, I get up around 6 a.m., then I go grab something from the fridge, shower, brush my teeth and hydrate. Then I work on my coffee. I try to wait at least 90 minutes after waking up before I have my first cup, so usually around 7 a.m., right before my workout. I prep the coffee then drink it in my weight room. I workout and come back and make a cup for my wife and another cup for myself. We have breakfast together before our kids wake up. My first cup is a flat white, and I make a cortado for my wife.

You’ve got a La Marzocco in the Mets’ weight room, and even a traveling machine. What’s the story behind that—and how does it play into the rhythm of the team or game day energy?

Is it part of the locker room culture now? Any routines you have with the machine?

Wherever the Mets go, so does our La Marzocco. Around an hour before the game, we go to where ever the machine is. At home it’s in our weight room, and on the road, it’s wherever we can find a decent setup in the visiting clubhouse. There are usually a few main characters from our Performance and Communications staff who pump out the shots. Other guys will start to trickle in and we begin to start talking about whatever is on our mind. After a while, our Head Strength and Condition Coach will show up and will tell me it’s time to get ready for the game.

It’s good to have conversations, to connect, to let everything out before the game so it gets you in the right mentality. I find when you talk to people and have conversations, your mind is a little clearer after that.

Who pulls the best shots on the team?

Any surprises? Or are you holding the crown?

It’s got to be myself or Ryan Helsely. I think Clay Holmes is going to be up there in the next few months. He just ordered his own Mini.

Did you grow up around coffee, or was it something you picked up later in life?

My wife, Katia, was the one who was the coffee drinker and she got me into it. Katia has been drinking coffee since she was a little girl. Her parents are crazy coffee drinkers.

I started like most non-coffee drinkers. I began with a mocha, I was making it sweeter. Then I got used to it, my tastebuds opened up and I expanded. Next thing you know I am sampling different coffee varieties. This was probably about four years ago, that’s when my palate opened up.

I bought my first machine right around then. Before that, I was not making coffee at home, I was just going and buying it.

Do you see any parallels between making espresso and playing baseball?

Both require repetition, patience, and an obsession with small details. Does that mindset translate?

There’s some art to it, not everybody can do it. They think they can, but not everyone can. You have to be consistent with the ratios and the way you set up, if not you won’t have the perfect shot. Just like baseball you work at it as hard as you can. Just like with your swing, but there’s no perfect swing and there’s no perfect shot.

What are your top three most memorable espresso experiences?

Could be a place, a person, a moment.

1 – Drinking coffee in Italy with my wife in 2023.

2 – Every morning having coffee with my wife before the kids get up.

3 – The memories I am able to make at the ballpark.

You’re now a seasoned home barista, what’s your coffee hot take?

Something you believe that might go against the grain. Could be controversial, could be niche.

Cold coffee. It’s disgusting. I am not a big fan of it. I don’t know why people drink cold coffee, it doesn’t make sense.

If you could pull a shot anywhere in the world—where would it be?

Could be a ballpark, a city, a memory, or just somewhere that would mean a lot.

I am going to Australia, so I am looking forward to tasting coffee there. I think by the beach or during the Australian Open would be fantastic.

Why was it so important for you to bring La Marzocco into the clubhouse?

I am into cars, and I love Ferraris. I feel like they are the Ferrari of the industry. There is some craft to it, some art to it, but most importantly they pour great shots.