The Case For Wilmer Flores as The Mets Shortstop of The Future

        

Credit to Zimbio.com

      Sounds crazy and ridiculous, I know. However, despite the defensive concerns and everything in-between, Wilmer Flores truly has a shot at being the long term answer to shortstop the Mets have oh so desperately needed since the Jose Reyes fiasco.


 The thing about Wilmer Flores that people have realized for years is that his bat would eventually get him into the major leagues (and likely keep him there), but he was a man without a position. What people also know about Flores is that his reactions are late, and his footwork is awkward over at shortstop. What people don’t know about him though, is that Flores has quite a few interesting comparisons. Look at these given stats and try and guess who is who.

Player A. .227 Batting Average, 4 Home Runs, .621 OPS

Player B. .251 Batting Average, 6 Home Runs, .644 OPS

     If you weren’t able to guess, Player B. was Wilmer Flores through 78 games in 2014. Player A. was Jhonny Peralta through his first 77 games all the way back in 2003. The reason I wanted to bring up that comparison is because given how Met fans have claimed Flores is an inept Major Leaguer due to his poor 2014 performance, when in reality, Peralta at that stage of his career was WORSE. Also, similar to the comments about Flores being a poor defensive shortstop, Peralta is also seen as a shortstop that possesses a potent bat, but in the field, he fails the eye test. Despite what scouts may say about Peralta, both Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) is very kind to him (UZR especially loves him). Last season, his UZR was a 12 and he saved a staggering 17 runs. Now it is important I mentioned that because yes it is in a small sample size, but Flores was given a UZR or 4 (and his UZR per 150 games would grade out to be 12, exactly like Peralta). Flores was even worth only three runs below average per DRS. Essentially, I like to bring fourth the Jhonny Peralta comparison because it is not hard to envision Wilmer Flores becoming a shortstop in the mold of him. Despite their similarities, Flores has had a better start to his career than Peralta. Flores didn’t exactly light the world on fire in 2014, but like Jhonny Peralta showed years ago, those who have patience will reap the rewards. What the metrics say about Peralta is that even though he doesn't look good on defense, he is able to get the ratings he does likely due to his positioning depending on the batter. It is not difficult to see the same strategy be used with Flores. It is also important to remember that Flores has proven that he can indeed hit major league pitching

        It is important to note also that Mets fans have clamored for the team to pursue All-Star caliber shortstops such as Troy Tulowitzki, Ben Zobrist, or even Ian Desmond. The reason that these trades were certainly not in the best interest of the Mets is not mainly because all three teams that offered them asked for Noah Syndergaard, but because as I stated in my first article “Why The Mets Dodged a Bullet Not Trading For Troy Tulowitzki”, Wilmer Flores is a much better option at shortstop than Mets fans think he is. The Mets would be trading a player who could help them tremendously as soon as 2015 to fill in a position that does not need to be filled. Flores is highly regarded as a player with no position, and this reminds me of another player. This player is actually current Met, Daniel Murphy. 

Photo credit to metsmerizedonline.com

      Daniel Murphy was initially called up to the Mets in August of 2008 and despite being brought up the Mets minor league system as a third baseman (similar to Flores), he was blocked by incumbent Third baseman, David Wright. As a result of this, Murphy was considered to be a man without a position. However, Murphy had hit well in all levels of the minor leagues and even hit .313 with an .897 OPS in the final 2 months of the 2008 season. It is important to note though, that no matter where Murphy played, he always was either an unnatural fit (i.e First Base), or played flat out terribly (Left Field). However, because his bat was good and second base was empty, the team felt he could try out second base. Since then, Murphy has swung the bat incredibly well and has been able to make up for any defensive shortcomings. Imagine if the Mets attempted to get an "upgrade" at second that offseason instead of trying Murphy out at the position like what fans have been calling for the Mets to do this offseason with Wilmer Flores at shortstop. 

     I brought to attention both Daniel Murphy and Jhonny Peralta because these two players are what I view Wilmer Flores' closest comparisons to be. All three have the common style in that they have good bats, but are either seen as too big or awkward for the middle infield. I could see Flores turn out to go down the path of Peralta (minus the inconsistency) in that he'll hit for power due to his size (Flores also slugged five of his six home runs once he started to get more playing time in August), but the batting average may lag a bit. However, I can also see him turn into something similar to Daniel Murphy due to his career minor league batting average of well over .300 and the fact that his .265 BABIP in 2014 is far lower than his minor league total of over .350. You can definitely count on his BABIP to look a lot like his minor league totals. Flores isn't a speedster and never will be, but he has shown a tremendous ability for his hits to miss gloves consistently due to his quick hands, and ability to barrel up the ball on the majority of his hacks. 
     Despite the cries from nearly all of the fan base to find an upgrade at shortstop, the upgrade is already here. That upgrade comes in the form of a player who as long as he isn't the worst defender in baseball, could become one of the best very soon. As I explained throughout, his bat to ball skills are unmatched already by almost every shortstop in the Major Leagues right now. The Mets desperately need a jolt of offensive into their lineup, and to me, Flores is just the guy to do it. Oh, and for good measure, Fangraphs Steamer pegs him to hit .248 with 15 home runs, and an ISO of .148 this season (which among Shortstops with at least 450 Plate Appearances would have ranked 5th last season). Not too bad for a guy making major league minimum, and isn't even arbitration eligible until 2017.