2014 IPP: Wilmer Flores

[Benjamin Grimm]

It was moderately popular last year, so we'll try it again this year. IPP stands for Individual Player Predictions. These will be threads where we share our expectations of how a player will perform in the current year. Feel free to make your predictions as specific or as vague as you like. (You can find a listing of the 2013 IPPs here.)

I don't know how he's going to do it, but I think that Wilmer Flores is going to hit his way into a good amount of playing time. It might be at third base, but only if something bad happens with David Wright, so we certainly don't want that. His clearest path is at shortstop, but the big question is if his bat can overcome his defensive shortcomings. (I have no opinion on this, at least not yet.) He could replace Murphy at second, either because of an injury or trade, but my guess is that he'll be the guy to replace Ike Davis at first base in early May.

350 plate appearances, .280, 12 homers.

[smg58]

He won't make the team, but a .900 OPS in half a season at Vegas (coupled with a failure to establish himself as a viable middle infield option) will make him prime trade bait at the deadline.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Dyes his hair red and changes his last name to "Flintstone".

[MFS62]

Hits the crap out of the ball at Las Vegas.
And when a full time righty bat is needed, he will be brought up and stay.
.286 - 9 - 63 (23 doubles) in 72 games.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No clue. No clue at all. Shot in the dark?

71 G, 288 PA, .268/.309/.415, 21 R, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 16 2B

[Theoldmole]

Gets a try at short in midseason, inexplicably clicks, leaving fans to wonder why this was not tried earlier. Hits .280 in about 200 at bats, teams with Murphy to form not the worst keystone combination in baseball, one that wins more games with bats than they lose in the field.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It's hard to make these predictions when the whole season is hinging upon a blockbuster trade that hasn't yet been made. Flores has to be in the plans for someone, and the Mets really aren't in a position to be dealing away young guys who can hit.

So I think he somehow gets a chance here and does good for a young hitter.

280/340/430. Gets that trophy they give to the rookie with the most doubles. That's a thing, right?

[Zvon]

I liked what he had to say today during the game. Especially learning how much he has learned and that he considers himself still learning.

But my jury is still out on him. Need to see more. I thought I saw him doggin' it a few times near the end of last season.

[Guest d'Kong76]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Dyes his hair red and changes his last name to "Flintstone".

Yabba Dabba Doo!
My guess is he's a non-factor, a bust. Again.

[nymr83]

Collins/Alderson are unwilling to find a regular spot for him either by traing Murphy or benching Tejada and living with Flores' defense, he ends up more than carrying his weight, I'm thinking .775 OPS, but he only gets 250 ABs

[Benjamin Grimm]

Tim Rohan, The New York Times wrote: On Friday, the team announced that Flores would play shortstop for the last seven weeks of the regular season. They said this was the right time because Ruben Tejada was struggling. Yet this was also a subtle signal that the Mets had shifted their gaze toward the future. “We want to find out if he’s going to be able to play shortstop,” Manager Terry Collins said, adding, “We’re in a situation, right now, where we want to find out.”

[Edgy MD]

What a decisive Friday this was.

Not sure I see the point in making such announcements, but still.

[Centerfield]

He throws funny.

[ashie62]

Sounds like a pump and dump..

[batmagadanleadoff]

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began:

Flores' hit tool is further along than most of the other 2013 Mets debutants, but the questions about his defense are right there with the rest of them. With David Wright, the Mets have exactly one position locked down for the foreseeable future, and that's the only position at which Flores might approach average. He is the prototypical B athlete, and his unnatural throwing motion will cost him wherever he plays. Flores has a wealth of minor-league experience for a 22-year old, and the bat showed flashes at the major-league level, so the lack of production is not of much concern. But if he's to stay a Met, a Daniel Murphy-esque positional hunt - perhaps including left field - could be in order.

[Guest themetfairy]

He won my heart in spring training with this smile -