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Adopted: Wilmer Flores

MFS62 Feb 24 2008 12:56 PM

Can't provide any stats, since he was a late season International signee. IIRC, when they signed the 6'2" lefty-hitting shortstop it was said that his body type projects him to weigh as much as 24 0 pounds. It's real early. He has a big frame for someone 6'2" and 180 lbs. He can add 30-40 lbs to that frame. The other issue is that he turned 16 on or about August 8th, so he's very young. He could grow 2-4 inches. Part of the reason for the high ranking is that he plays SS. There is no more than a 50-50 chance that he'll remain at SS and not because Reyes is ahead of him. There haven't been many 6'4" +, 240 lbs. + shortstops. And the prospect of possibly seeing a 240 lb shortstop is interesting enough for me to want to adopt him. B'sides, this is a virtual adoption. I won't have to feed him. Later

MFS62 Jun 18 2008 06:31 PM

The 16 year old prospect played his first pro game last night. Got his first home run. I'm beaming. Later

MFS62 Aug 06 2008 10:50 AM

Happy Birthday, kid! Keep up the good work. Poppa's proud of you. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... pid=527038 Later

Frayed Knot Aug 06 2008 12:09 PM

Turns 17 today and has put up a line of .331/.370/.535 (17 XBHs out of 57 hits) so far against mostly 18 to 21 year-old professionals in 200+ ABs. If an American, he would have just finished his jumior year in HS and looking forward to being a senior and the draft 10 months from now. Imagine what he'd be doing with an aluminum bat to a bunch of skinny 17 y/o hurlers? Long way to go still obviously, but Wow! so far.

MFS62 Aug 29 2008 06:23 AM

Wilmer celebrated his promotion to Brooklyn last night by going 3-4 with a double and an RBI. Flores, 17, while with Kingsport in his first professional season, had hit .310 with 8 home runs and 41 RBI in 59 games. He had signed with the Mets as a non-drafted free agent on his 16th birthday in 2007. Welcome to the Big Apple, kid. Later

Frayed Knot Sep 17 2008 10:49 AM

Named by BA as the #2 prospect in the Appalachian League - behind only #1 overall 2008 draft pick Tim Beckham. Selected Flores comments during an on-line chat session about the Appy League: - "For me, [the top prospect for the Mets] is still Fernando Martinez. Flores is an intriguing talent, but let's see how he performs in full-season ball, dealing with the grind of playing a full season. - Expect Flores to follow the Fernando Martinez path, with an assignment to low Class A Savannah at age 17 to begin his first pro season. - Maybe the most impressive number put up by Flores was only 28 strikeouts in 245 AB's at his age ... his contact ability (coupled with impressive power) is what stood out to me. Plate discipline will have to be polished against more advanced pitchers, but Flores' pitch recognition is already quite good, as he he has has the hand-eye coordination and reflexes to put all types of pitches in play. - You can see by his month-by-month walk totals that Flores became more selective later in the season, and that the higher strikeout totals resulted from his working deeper counts. As word got around the league about his ability, Flores began to see a lot more offspeed pitches early in counts. But in a positive sign, he recognized the pattern and looked offspeed early in his at-bats. - Flores will be developed as a shortstop, at least early in his career. He led all Appy League shortstops in every cumulative defensive category — total chances, putouts, assists, double plays, etc. And his fielding percentage was above the league average ... what's interesting about his development at SS is that, according to the Mets, he played mostly third base and outfield in his native Venezuela, so that the organization had to instruct him in the finer points of shortstop play in extended spring — things like making plays in the hole and getting his feet behind him on throws ... [but] it's much more difficult for clubs to find strong hitters at short than it is at third base or on an outfield corner.

MFS62 Mar 08 2009 10:56 AM

He went 1-4 with an RBI double in his first ST action with the "big club" weakened by the absence of WBC players. He's supposed to get another start today. Welcome, kid. Later

d'Kong76 Mar 15 2009 06:55 AM

Nice long piece in the NY Times this morning on Wilmer ... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/sport ... ref=sports

MFS62 Mar 16 2009 07:03 AM

Kong76 wrote: Nice long piece in the NY Times this morning on Wilmer ... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/sport ... ref=sports Thanks. I just learned that my kid and my wife have the same birthday. Later

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 06 2009 12:19 PM

So far, his season in Savannah lacks complete awesomeness. 279/323/314 -- only 3 XBH (all doubles) in 86 ABs.

Frayed Knot Jul 21 2009 07:38 AM

Kevin Goldstein - Baseball Prospectus: It's easy to forget that [Wilmer] Flores is younger than most high school players who got drafted last month. How many of them do you think could hit .287 in a full-season [So Atl] league? It's a short list, and Flores has been especially hot of late, going 4-for-4 on Sunday while batting .320 in his last 40 games. He's not a shortstop in the end, but the bat could end up really special.

MFS62 Jul 29 2009 01:43 PM

http://www.baseballamerica.com...ospects/?p=5871 Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores won admirers last season for his impressive showing in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, in which he participated as a 16-year-old. A year older and wiser, the young Venezuelan hasn’t received quite the same fanfare this season as he competes in the low Class A South Atlantic League. Let’s view them side by side: WILMER FLORES, SS, METS YR TEAM LGE LVL PA AVG OBP SLG HR 2B BB SO CT% ISO BB/K ’08 Kingsport Appy R 265 .310 .352 .490 8 12 12 28 88.6 .163 .36 ’09 Savannah SAL LoA 375 .280 .317 .360 3 15 15 44 87.3 .075 .34 Flores, 17, has maintained his lofty contact rate and his mediocre walk-to-strikeout ratio even as he’s moved up a grade. His average and power production, though, have trailed off significantly as he grinds through his first full season of pro ball. He signed with the Mets for the ninth-highest bonus, $700,000, of the ’07 international signing period. A scout for an AL club took note of those hitting qualities while seeing Flores in action this season. "Flores grew on me. He can hit," the scout said. "I don’t know how much power he’s going to have—and he’s a legit 25 runner with well below-average athleticism—but he has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball. And he shows plate discipline and pitch recognition at a young age. "His hands are really good and they allow him to manipulate the barrel and adjust to pitches in all parts of the zone. They help his defense, too. But he’s not a good athlete and he can’t run at all." Viewers of the Futures Game already have some familiarity with Flores’ lack of footspeed. It seemed to take him days to run out an infield grounder during that prospect showcase, and he again showed well below-average speed in Sunday’s Sand Gnats game at Greensboro, a contest attended by a number of BA staffers. Flores went 1-for-4 with a double, but twice he grounded out sharply to third, the second time as part of a game-ending double play. In each at-bat, Flores worked the count to his favor, and of the 15 pitches he saw in four at-bats, he swung and missed only once, at an 86 mph fastball on the inner half. He fouled off one other pitch, but in every instance he was working ahead of the pitcher—2-1, 3-1, 1-0 and 2-1. In the first inning, Flores lined a 89 mph fastball, middle-in, from righthander Tom Koehler over the center fielder’s head for a double. The defense had been playing him slightly to pull. As Flores fills out his lanky 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame, scouts will be looking for increased power production from the righthanded hitter. "I think learning when he gets his pitch to really attack it will help him (hit for more power)," the scout said. "But now, he just lays the barrel on the ball and throws it in the alley or in front of a outfielder for a single or double. I think as he gets more experience, he’ll learn to really attack it when he gets his pitch. "He’s a big leaguer, I think, but not a shortstop for sure. And the approach has to improve, and he has to develop a lot more power if he’s going to be everyday on a corner." But Flores is a unique case. Not many prospects, not even those from Latin America, compete in full-season minor leagues at age 17-18. Later

Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 02:35 PM

"... and he’s a legit 25 runner with well below-average athleticism" I had heard his speed was below average but that's a bit disturbing. '25' is almost as slow as one can get on the 20-80 scale scouts use. It shocks me that a teenager on what's described as a 6' 3" - 175 frame could be THAT slow. I mean someone tells me '25' on the speed scale and I'm thinking that qualifies you to be named an honorary Molina. Anything below that and your moniker becomes Mo Vaughn II

Edgy MD Jul 29 2009 02:52 PM

And wouldn't be playing short, I'd think.

Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 03:00 PM

Well nobody seems to think he'll stay a SS in the long run but, yeah, with '25' speed you wouldn't think he ever would have become one in the first place.

MFS62 Jul 30 2009 11:39 AM

In those youth leagues, the best athlete, or at least the one with the best arm other than pitchers, usually plays shortstop. In the first post in this thread, I mentioned that they project him to weigh 240 pounds, definitely not a shortstop. But, about his speed, his last home run this year was an inside-the-parker. No reports if the outfielder needed medical attention. Later

Edgy MD Jul 30 2009 12:22 PM

Well, he's not in youth league now, and 25 speed implies he's far from the best athlete. I'm guessing they're exaggerating, not seeing him at 100%, or judging him on a run or two when he wasn't at full speed. I could be wrong on each account.

MFS62 Aug 06 2009 06:59 PM

Happy 18th birthday, kid. And happy ____ th birthday to my wife. (If I tell you, I'll have to kill you) Later

Nymr83 Aug 06 2009 07:29 PM

It shocks me that a teenager on what's described as a 6' 3" - 175 frame could be THAT slow. i don't know anything about the 20-80 scale in terms of 40-time and stuff but i was probably just as slow as a 6'5" 180 lb 17 year old.

Ashie62 Aug 06 2009 08:20 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: "... and he’s a legit 25 runner with well below-average athleticism" I had heard his speed was below average but that's a bit disturbing. '25' is almost as slow as one can get on the 20-80 scale scouts use. It shocks me that a teenager on what's described as a 6' 3" - 175 frame could be THAT slow. I mean someone tells me '25' on the speed scale and I'm thinking that qualifies you to be named an honorary Molina. Anything below that and your moniker becomes Mo Vaughn II saw a Met lumber to second on a double this spring and it was Wilmer. SLOW

Frayed Knot Oct 02 2009 03:12 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

BA lists Flores as 10th best prospect in Sally league this year

Frayed Knot Jan 30 2010 01:40 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

#41 on Keith Law's top 100 prospects list: Flores, as predicted, broke with a full-season club in 2009 and held his own despite playing most of the year at 17. He has very quick wrists and is short to the ball with good finish. The ball flies off his bat, especially in BP, in which he shows the promise of future plus power, and in games he has already shown that he can square balls up against pitchers two or three years his senior. In fact, of players with at least 400 at-bats in the Sally League in 2009, only one hitter had fewer strikeouts than Flores did. His main deficiency as a player is very slow feet, even though he's not thickly built, and he has no shot to stay at shortstop and little shot of handling third base, which means he'll end up at first base or in an outfield corner, although there's an excellent chance his bat plays in any of those positions.

Frayed Knot Apr 23 2010 03:40 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

BA is back with their 'Hot List' - a round-up of who's hot over the previous week in minor league ball Wilmer Flores - Met, South Atlantic Lg - Age: 18 Why He's Here: .370/.481/.741 (10-for-27), 2 HR, 4 2B, 11 RBIs, 6 R, 3 BB, 5 SO The Scoop: Flores struck out for the first time this season last Friday, in his ninth game. But as his contact rate has declined since then, his power has spiked through the roof. Six extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in a week would have been practically unheard of last season, but it could be a sign of a more mature Flores learning to identify pitches he can drive and not simply swinging at the first thing near the zone. Bear in mind, he hit all of three home runs in 488 at-bats for Savannah last season.

MFS62 Apr 26 2010 09:45 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

He received an intentional BB with runners on 1st and 3rd. He had already driven in 13 runs in the 1st 3 games of this series. Later

MFS62 Apr 27 2010 10:14 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

From Mets Inside Pitch: Wilmer Flores went off this week when he knocked in 13 runs in the span of four nights. He finished the week with a 9 game hit streak and a double in four consecutive games. Flores is now tied with two others for second place in the Sally League with 16 RBI. Eleven of his hits have gone for extra bases (two HR, 9 doubles). Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 03 2010 02:08 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Ted Berg meets Wilmer, and writes about it: I don’t know if it matters a ton whether a guy’s power appears easy or hard-fought. Gary Sheffield’s power never looked like it came easy. Dude swung the hell out of the bat, but he sure made it work for him. And I remember watching Mark Johnson take batting practice, and seeing him park ball after ball into Shea Stadium’s mezzanine without looking like it took much work at all. But he only hit 38 Major League home runs in his career. S0 for all I know it doesn’t make the tiniest bit of difference, in terms of ultimate results, how much apparent exertion goes into hitting a home run. All I can say for certain is that when Wilmer Flores drove an 0-1 fastball at his knees about 350 feet and over the left field fence here in Savannah on Thursday night, it looked entirely effortless. Almost nonchalant. That such a skinny kid with such a smooth swing could drive a ball so far almost seemed an optical illusion, yet there was no doubt the ball would exit the yard as soon as he struck it. Easy power... I met Flores today. He told me he’s working on his defensive footwork, which he feels is his biggest weakness. He said the difference between how he hit last year and how he’s hitting this year is experience, and growing comfortable with the level. And he said the team’s long bus rides are tough, but worth it for the opportunity to improve as a baseball player. Twice, actually. Due to some technical difficulties I failed to successfully record the audio of my first interview with Flores, but Flores happily repeated the entire conversation. Nice kid. Funny kid. And kid, for sure. It feels like we’ve been hearing about Flores for so long that from afar it’s hard to believe he’s still so young, even if his youth is a huge part of what has made him so notable. But watch him take infield before a game or stand close to him and there’s no doubt. Knobby knees, gawky limbs, sparse hairs on his chin. He carries himself with confidence and his coaches rave about his makeup, but he looks his age. Until he connects with one, of course.

Frayed Knot May 14 2010 11:51 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Keeping in mind that BA's 'Hot Sheet' is not an assessment of overall minor league/prospect talent but rather a list of who is coming off a good week, it's still nice to see Wilmer Flores at #2 this week behind only Steven Strasburg - Why He's Here: .500/.583/.818 (11-for-22), 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2-for-2 SB - The Scoop: As more money gets thrown in to the international market (and with the possibility of an international draft coming in the next few years), more and more international players are going to be on the prospect map for years before they legally become adults. Flores was a top international sign for the Mets in 2007, dominated the Rookie-level Appalachian League as a 16-year-old in 2008 and ranked as the Mets No. 2 prospect after the 2009 season. Yet he's still just 18, still in the lowest level of full-season ball and still likely three-plus years from being able to make an impact at the major league level, so it's important to be patient. But you can certainly be excited, since Flores looks like a prodigious hitting machine, and even the power is starting to come around with five home runs on the year. He's still learning to work himself into good hitter's counts (he has 10 walks, but three were intentional), but he's such a talented hitter that it's not an issue right now. Flores also made two throwing errors and a fielding error this week to bring his error total to eight, but nobody thinks he's a future shortstop anyway; it's the bat that makes him special.

MFS62 Jun 14 2010 08:23 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

A recent scouting report. http://scoutingthesally.com/2010/06/sco ... york-mets/ Later

Edgy MD Jun 14 2010 08:44 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Sounds like people on either side of the Flores question need a dose of perspective. It's like that with prospects, as you want to be quick to respond to threats and buy or sell early, if only emotionally.

MFS62 Jun 22 2010 09:50 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Wilmer will be among six Savannah players who will be promoted to St. Lucie after the SAL All-Star game. http://www.thepaper24-7.com/main.asp?Se ... leID=26545 Later

Benjamin Grimm Jun 22 2010 10:41 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

When he makes the big leagues, I hope his fan club wears these wigs to games:

MFS62 Jun 22 2010 09:43 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

OK, why? Later

Frayed Knot Jun 23 2010 07:22 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock ... WILLLLL-MERRRRRR

MFS62 Jun 23 2010 07:51 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Frayed Knot wrote: Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock ... WILLLLL-MERRRRRR Honestly, I'm not getting that reference. Was it from a tv show? Later

Frayed Knot Jun 23 2010 07:53 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Yes it's a TV show. Think of the female equivalent name to Wilmer ... and then look at her necklace.

MFS62 Jun 23 2010 09:05 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Flintstones? Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 23 2010 12:02 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

MFS62 wrote: Flintstones? Later No, I think he means "Falcon Crest." Because Wilmer's attack is fierce. Yes, it's the Flintstones.

MFS62 Jul 07 2010 10:12 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

In the 13 games since his promotion to St. Lucie, Wilmer has been hotter than the weather. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... pid=527038 Later

Frayed Knot Jul 16 2010 03:37 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

From BA's Ben Badler as part of a general Q & A session: -- There's only a handful of position prospects I'd take over [Flores] in the minors. It's a special bat and the power is starting to come around even faster than I expected. I'd get him to third base as quickly as possible because that's his ideal position, but he's just a natural hitter.

MFS62 Sep 07 2010 10:14 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Wilmer, who just turned 19, had his best full year (at two A levels): http://www.baseball-reference.com/minor ... ores003wil He finally showed some consistent XB power that has come with his body developing. Later

Edgy MD Nov 01 2010 10:23 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

"When I was 19, I had no idea of the things he knows." --- Carlos Beltran on Wilmer Flores after spending some rehab time with St. Lucie

Ceetar Mar 21 2011 12:47 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Ceetar Mar 22 2011 09:51 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Robert (Queens): What are your thoughts on Wilmer Flores? Paul DePodesta: Two days ago during a minor league game played on Field 7 (a field that is built precisely to the dimensions of CitiField - walls and all), Flores went oppo to deep right center field. Oppo. Right-center. In CitiField. He's 19. Like him! Seriously, he can really hit.

Edgy MD Mar 22 2011 09:58 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Wish somebody asked him what position PDP sees him at, because he better get there soon.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 22 2011 10:28 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

What are the possibilities? If it's not gonna be shortstop, is second base possible? Hopefully the guy at third base will be around for years to come. Can Flores be an outfielder?

Edgy MD Mar 22 2011 10:31 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

i think that's the cloudy plan. But I suspect some in the organization haven't completely written off shortstop, suspecting (with good reason) that there'll be an opening there shortly.

Frayed Knot Mar 22 2011 10:36 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Most think it'll eventually be either 1B or a corner OF spot. No one believes he has the quickness for anywhere in the middle of the field and even 3B seems to be doubtful. That said I don't think there's a need to decide on his life-long position in the immediate future. Of course some of this 'info' probably is just feeding on itself; so many hear it that they simply repeat it as if that's their first-hand opinion too. The question I would have liked to see DePo asked was whether Flores is as god-awful foot-slow as is rumored. It strikes me as odd that a thin-ish teenager would be talked about like he's practically an honorary Molina brother but that's what I keep reading.

MFS62 Mar 28 2011 09:28 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Many of the projections I've read about Wilmer changing positions have been based on his size - listed as 6'3" and 185 pounds. The writers anticipate that he will add weight to his frame, limiting his range and quickness. But he hasn't added that weight yet. It will be interesting to see if he stays at short if he keeps the weight off. Later

Frayed Knot Mar 29 2011 06:51 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

The worry about him and SS is mostly about his quickness, specifically about the fact that he has none. Added years + weight will only made that situation worse.

Edgy MD Nov 02 2011 07:32 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

PDeP ain't moving him yet.

Ceetar Nov 02 2011 07:36 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Edgy DC wrote: PDeP ain't moving him yet. The proper nickname is D3PO.

Edgy MD Nov 02 2011 07:38 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Is Ricciardi JPD2?

Ceetar Nov 02 2011 07:49 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Edgy DC wrote: Is Ricciardi JPD2? I've never seen him referred to as such, but that'd be perfect.

Edgy MD Jan 06 2012 12:20 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Toby salutes Wilmer's VWL season.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2012 12:12 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Bat will determine Flores' future position Prospect projects as an infielder, but not as answer at shortstop By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com | 01/16/12 10:00 AM EST NEW YORK -- Mets trainer Ray Ramirez flew down to Panama earlier this winter, with the sole intent of helping Ruben Tejada develop enough strength and endurance to survive the rigors of a 162-game schedule. The Mets are banking on Tejada at shortstop this season, in part because they believe in him, and in part because they have no other choice. Do not read those words too harshly -- it's not as if there is no reason for optimism regarding the left side of the infield. Twenty-two-year-old defensive whiz kids with .360 on-base percentages are few and far between. Though no one in the organization expects Tejada to match his predecessor, Jose Reyes, in terms of offensive production, the Mets are reasonably bullish that Tejada can at least hold his own as a Major League regular. Strength and experience, they believe, will only help. "I think we're incredibly fortunate to have Tejada," Mets vice president of scouting and player development Paul DePodesta said. "He's a very legitimate shortstop." Scouts have long insisted that Wilmer Flores possesses all the proper tools to become an offensive star. (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB) But what if Tejada's career stalls, as many do in the face of more regular playing time? What if Ramirez's trip was in vain? Two or three years ago, there was a notion around baseball that, perhaps, Wilmer Flores, a middle infielder by nature, would be ready to crack the big leagues by 2012. That hope dissolved when Flores, still just 20 years old, began developing slower than expected. Recently (and hardly unexpectedly), the concept that Flores might ever be the long-term solution at shortstop has disappeared, as well. Because of his frame and skill set, Flores never profiled as a classic middle infielder, even from his earliest days as a prospect. Most projections pegged him as a third baseman or corner outfielder, confident that he would develop a strong enough offensive profile to stick at those positions. "When you have a guy like that, you let him play short until he shows he can't play it anymore," MLB.com prospects reporter Jonathan Mayo said. "To many, that point has come already." To that end, the Mets allowed Flores to play almost exclusively at third base during Winter Ball in Venezuela, where he batted .301 with a .382 on-base percentage. It was the first tangible positive in some time for Flores, who posted on-base marks of .309 and .324 during extended runs at Class A St. Lucie in 2010 and 2011. Now, Flores finds himself at something of a career crossroads. Either the Mets send him back to St. Lucie, where he will no longer be notably young for the level, or they promote him to Double-A Binghamton on the basis of nothing more than projection. "In either case, everybody's going to be wanting to see how he does," Mayo said. "If he goes back to St. Lucie, he'd better come out like a house on fire and show that he's too good for the level, and then get a promotion. But if he goes up to Double-A, that's the leap that's hardest to make." For years now, scouts have insisted that Flores possesses all the proper tools to become an offensive star. The statistics, they have said, will come in time. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen. But Flores has already proven one thing: that shortstop is not likely his long-term position. Though DePodesta does expect Flores to end up somewhere in the infield, the farm boss hesitated when asked last month if shortstop seemed likely. "This may sound sort of backwards, but I think the bat's going to end up dictating it," DePodesta said. "Whatever happens to be available at the [big league level] when he's ready, that could be where he ends up playing." Still, DePodesta indicated that Flores will continue to receive more and more exposure at third base and other positions, thereby giving him less and less time at short. Though it is possible that Flores develops more athletically than most scouts anticipate -- Mayo pointed to Rays former No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham, who has thus far defied expectations by remaining a shortstop -- he is far more likely to make his permanent home elsewhere. "That's not a bad thing, necessarily," Mayo said. "Does it mean he has slightly less value in the larger scheme of things because he's not an up-the-middle player? I guess, but I don't think it's that big of a deal." What it does mean, however, is that Flores is extremely unlikely to be the long-term answer at shortstop for the Mets, putting further pressure on Tejada to fill that void. Beyond those two, the organization's internal landscape thins considerably. The Mets have high hopes for Jordany Valdespin, a natural second baseman, and have given him significant reps at shortstop each of the past two seasons. (It is worth noting that, although Valdespin has received merely a fraction of the hype, he has posted better Minor League numbers than Flores over the past few seasons.) And the Mets have a reasonable shortstop prospect in recent 15th-round Draft pick Phillip Evans, but he is just 19 years old and has yet to play a single inning above short-season Class A ball. Fortunately for the Mets, time is their ally. This year belongs to Tejada. As long as the shortstop performs adequately in his starting debut, next year probably belongs to him, as well. The rest will sort itself out in time.

Edgy MD Feb 28 2012 08:57 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Working out at third, from the worm's eye.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 28 2012 08:59 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

That worm took a nice photo!

MFS62 Apr 10 2012 10:23 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Opening the season at St. Lucie. Not a good sign. Later

MFS62 Apr 27 2012 09:26 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Flores has been en fuego. He's now playing third base and is hitting .323/.355/.523 Later

Benjamin Grimm Apr 27 2012 09:39 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Frayed Knot Apr 27 2012 02:34 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

MFS62 wrote: Flores has been en fuego. He's now playing third base and is hitting .323/.355/.523 Gets an 'honorable mention' in BA's 'Hot Prospect' watch this week. -- For as long as he's been around, it's easy to forget that Wilmer Flores is still just a 20-year-old in the high Class A Florida State League. Now playing third base for the Mets, Flores is off to a .323/.355/.523 start through 19 games, including an 11-game hitting streak. With international prospects, it pays to be patient.

Frayed Knot May 06 2012 08:41 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

From a BA Q & A: Q -- Richard (Brooklyn): Do you think wilmer Flores's current hot streak is an abberation or a sign of progress? Thanks A -- Ben Badler (BA): Probably a little bit of both. When someone like Flores becomes a big deal at 16, people tend to lose patience and forget that this guy is still a 20-year-old in High-A. I'm not saying he's going to be an all-star, but he does have excellent hands at the plate and the power he's starting to show doesn't surprise me. There's very real progress here.

MFS62 May 07 2012 09:29 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Three more hits today, including his 5th homer. Later

Frayed Knot May 22 2012 02:41 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Sickels: - Is Wilmer Flores finally breaking out? The New York Mets prospect had a solid April (.293/.319/.463) and has been even better in May (.329/.380/.534), leading to an overall line of .310/.347/.497 with seven homers, nine walks, and 16 strikeouts in 155 at-bats for High-A St. Lucie. This is his third run through the Florida State League but he's still just 21 years old. It is interesting to note that his offensive improvement coincides with a shift of his defensive position from shortstop to third base this year. Given that he now has 242 games of High-A on his resume, a promotion to Double-A seems like a good bet sometime soon. FK: That's some serious slugging (near .200 IsoP) in a FSL where power is tough to come by. The low walks are a concern, although the Ks are low too.

MFS62 Jun 11 2012 09:25 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Wilmer went 2-6 with a walk, a double and 2 RBI in yesterday's 14 inning St. Lucie win. Most significant, he started the game at second base. No DPs, but no errors, either. (Don't know how many chances for each) Later

Frayed Knot Jun 18 2012 10:48 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

3-for-4, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs, 1 BB and MVP honors in the Fla St Lg ASG over the weekend.

Edgy MD Jun 20 2012 04:21 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

And that's his swan song (hopefully) in A-ball, as he, Wilfredo Tover, and Francisco Peña are heading to AA. Cory F. Mazzoni, too.

MFS62 Jun 25 2012 10:09 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Wilmer went 4-5 yesterday, with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. He's hitting .471 since his promotion to AA. Later

Frayed Knot Aug 30 2012 04:25 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

John Sickels does an update on Wilmer Flores ... http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/8/3 ... #storyjump ... and there's some pretty good stuff in there - First is the reminder of how young he is. Scouts talk about a phenomenon known as “prospect fatigue” where fans begin to turn away from a promising player simply because it seems like he’s been around forever, something that’s more common with Latin players simply because they tend to sign so young. But Flores is still just 21 with a half-season of AA under his belt and would have the 2nd highest OPS in the Eastern League if he had enough ABs to qualify. That’s a guy who’s not only past his sell date but it’s still solidly in the young for his level territory. - That his power has picked up. Power is often the last thing to emerge from hitters and the whole ‘will he?/Won’t he?’ question colors the opinion of the player since how much he develops down the road goes a long way in determining how valuable he’ll be. Flores has always had good contact rates but now he’s maintaining that while adding some punch to go along with it (17 HRs in <500 ABs). - That he’s getting at least decent reports for his defense at 2B & 3B. No one thought he’d ever stay at SS, but many speculated that his skills and lack of foot speed left him no other eventual destination but 1B where the bat would need to be that much better just to maintain some value overall. He still rates as a bat-first guy, but if can he hang at either of those IF spots so much the better.

Frayed Knot Sep 01 2012 07:03 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

And Wilmer also gets the season send-off in BA's (final) weekly 'Hot Sheet' Why He's Here: .481/.517/.889 (13-for-27), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO The Scoop: With international prospects, the key word is patience. We live in a golden era of prospect information, perhaps no more evident than in the scouting reports we now have on international amateur prospects—but it's imperative to remember that the path of Jurickson Profar or Starlin Castro zooming to the big leagues is incredibly rare. Take Flores, whose name has appeared on the pages of Baseball America since he was 15. One of the top international prospects in 2007, Flores signed with the Mets out of Venezuela for $700,000 on his 16th birthday, then made a huge splash the next year in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he hit .310/.352/.490 in 59 games playing most of the season as a 16-year-old. By the time Flores was 18, the Mets had already pushed him to high Class A St. Lucie. Yet when the 2012 season opened, Flores still found himself in St. Lucie. He had struggled the previous year, but at 20, he was still one of the youngest players in the league and had the same preternatural hand-eye coordination that drew the Mets to him. Now the breakout has arrived. After a strong first half in the Florida State League, Flores got the bump to Double-A in June and has hit .323/.374/.506 in 62 games for Binghamton. His power has surged, with his 17 home runs nearly doubling his total of nine from a year ago. The Mets have shuffled Flores around this year at third base, second and first, with third base likely the perfect-world scenario given that he has the arm strength for the position but not nearly enough range to profile at second. So while it may seem like Flores has been a prospect forever, just remember that he just turned 21 a few weeks ago.

Benjamin Grimm Sep 01 2012 07:30 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Think we might see him in 2013?

Frayed Knot Sep 01 2012 12:29 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Not to start the year I wouldn't think, but quite possibly at some point in the season. If he proves at all worthy of handling 2nd base it would help since the other three IF positions are less likely to be open.

Edgy MD Jul 12 2013 01:11 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Flores had an Alfonzan day yesterday, going 4-5 with two homers and a double. Over his last three games, he's 8-15 with three doubles and those two homers. He's leading the league in RBI, with six more than the next closest guy, and in the Pacific Coast League, you'd think the RBI champ would be a big league vet.

Frayed Knot Jul 13 2013 02:48 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

That Alfonzian day, when combined by the rest of his week, was enough to get Flores the #6 spot on BA's 'Hot List' .400/.419/.767 (12-for-30), 2 HR, 5 2B, 9 RBIs, 4 R, 1 BB, 7 SO Talk about linear progression—Flores’ OPS has climbed from .715 in April to .873 in May to .950 in June to 1.200 through 11 games this month. He placed an exclamation point on his recent performance with a 4-for-5, two-homer, one-double game yesterday versus Tucson. Flores has very quietly climbed to the top of the PCL heap in three categories—doubles (33), extra-base hits (49) and RBIs (74)—and while he’s had considerably more success in Las Vegas, he still has a .288/.333/.440 batting line in road games. Not bad for a 21-year-old second baseman in Triple-A. Prospect watchers may want to take note of the Mets in September if the organization ends up promoting a trio of young position players on its 40-man roster—Flores, catcher Travis d’Arnaud and Double-A right fielder Cesar Puello—to make their major league debuts in tandem.

Edgy MD Jul 13 2013 07:57 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

That scenario doesn't bode nicely for the Metly futures of Boid, Moiph, and Buck.

Frayed Knot Jul 17 2013 11:36 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

BA puts Flores on their prospects to watch in the 2nd half list: -- A participant in tonight’s Triple-A all-star game, Flores has cracked 16 extra-base hits (five HR, 10 2B, one 3B) in the past 26 games for Las Vegas. With an uncharacteristic 22-4 K-BB ratio in that time, he appears to be making a concerted effort to hit for power, and so far it’s been working. Only Albuquerque outfielder Nick Buss has more extra-base hits (17) in this sample. The 21-year-old Flores has played four of his past eight games at first base, suggesting he may be auditioning for a look at that position in New York this summer.

Edgy MD Jul 17 2013 11:41 AM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Doesn't it take more than one person involved in an effort to make a "concerted" one?

MFS62 Sep 18 2013 09:17 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Belated welcome to the bigs, Wilmer. I knew you could do it. Hope you stay for more than a while. Later

themetfairy Mar 08 2014 09:47 PM Re: Adopted: Wilmer Flores

Wilmer isn't shy around cameras - [fimg=450:jlvhrpya]http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3355/13023758034_a743bd51b6_b.jpg[/fimg:jlvhrpya]