Wilmer Flores

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #6 prospect in 2014
  Flores has been the standard bearer for the Mets' international program since he signed for $750,000 in 2007. He continued to raise the bar on his offensive production in 2013, posting career bests for OPS (.887) and extra-base hits (55). The Mets called him up on Aug. 6 to fill in for injured third baseman David Wright. Flores began turning on the inside pitch for home run power in 2012, though his natural power stroke carries the ball to right-center field. While he still doesn't work many deep counts, he has impressive bat control and the hand-eye coordination to hit different pitch types to all fields. Flores has spent the bulk of the past two seasons at third (2012) and second (2013) base as the Mets try to find him a defensive home. A bottom-of-the-scale runner, he lacks any semblance of first-step quickness, though his hands are sure and his arm strong enough for any infield post. Big league pitchers, particularly lefties, had success expanding Flores' strike zone, but his minor league track record suggests he will hit for at least fringe-average power. He may begin 2014 back at Triple-A Las Vegas, but if he hits then the Mets will find playing-time opportunities for him.
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  Ranked New York Mets #6 prospect in 2013
  A fixture on this list (peak chart position: No. 2 after the 2008-10 seasons) since signing out of Venezuela for $750,000 in 2007, Flores turned in his best season yet in 2012. He finished the year in Double-A and established career highs for homers (18) and OPS (.827). Flores' supreme hand-eye coordination and ability to let the ball travel deep typically yield high batting averages and contact rates, as well as a natural power stroke to right-center field. He has learned to turn on more inner-half fastballs with experience, pulling 15 of his 18 homers last season to left field. Developing a more patient approach resulted in more fastballs in hitter's counts in 2012, as well as the best walk and strikeout rates of his career. Despite well below-average speed, Flores played exclusively at shortstop through his first four seasons, but he spent most of his time at third base in 2012. He has sure hands and a strong arm, but his lack of first-step quickness will be an issue wherever he plays. Flores can hit for average, but he may stop short of having profile power for first base or acceptable quickness to play third base or left field. With a strong showing at the Mets' new Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate, he could get his first taste of the majors in 2013.
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  Ranked New York Mets #10 prospect in 2012
  Signed for $750,000 in 2007, Flores already has played 459 games in the United States at age 20, the vast majority of them as a teenager. The Florida State League's youngest regular in 2010 and second-youngest in 2011, he saw his OPS drop from .739 to .689 in his second stint with St. Lucie. Despite his struggles, New York placed him on its 40- man roster in November. Flores stays inside the ball well and uses the whole field, but he almost makes too much contact for his own good. He won't fully tap into his offensive potential unless he learns to recognize and lay off pitches he can't drive. His natural power stroke carries the ball to center and right-center, which has suppressed his home run totals thus far. As he fills out his lean frame he could develop 20-homer power, which would be special at shortstop--but scouts give Flores no chance to stay up the middle. He's a well below-average runner with heavy feet and substandard range. He reads balls well off the bat and has an average arm, which could keep him on an infield corner. Flores played third base last winter in the Venezuelan League, which is a more natural fit for his skills. His power production must take a giant step forward for his bat to profile there, however. He should reach Double-A in 2012 before he turns 21.
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  Ranked New York Mets #2 prospect in 2011
  Flores began fine-tuning his skills at an academy near his home at age 13, but his parents allowed him to pursue a baseball career only upon early graduation from high school. Signed for $750,000 on his 16th birthday in 2007, he reached high Class A St. Lucie as an 18-year-old last June. Flores always has shown natural aptitude for hitting, something that can't be said for his running or fielding ability. He puts a charge into the ball with quick wrists and a loose, easy stroke. He doesn't swing and miss much, making rapid adjustments and excelling at barreling the ball and driving it to all fields when he gets extension. The results began to manifest in games last season when he smacked 50 extra-base hits, doubling his total from 2009. Flores' ability to hit for average and power will be crucial as he slides down the defensive spectrum. His hands work at shortstop, but his lack of first-step quickness and range won't allow him to play up the middle in the majors. He throws well enough to play third base, though his well below-average speed would make an outfield post an adventure. As he fills out and improves his selectivity, Flores could grow into a middleof- the-order presence. He'll reach Double-A at some point in 2011, probably before his 20th birthday.
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  Ranked New York Mets #2 prospect in 2010
  Flores signed with the Mets for $750,000 in 2007 after honing his skills at the same Venezuelan academy (Agua Linda) that produced Pablo Sandoval. He became the youngest player ever to compete for short-season Brooklyn when he finished the 2008 season there as a 17-year-old. Flores continued to face older competition in 2009, when he was the youngest player in the low Class A South Atlantic League, and started at second base in the Futures Game. Flores makes consistent hard contact, thanks to his quick bat and ability to put the barrel on the ball. Though he launched just three homers in 2009, he's projected to hit for power to all fields as he matures. Even before signing, he displayed opposite-field power potential. He has a plus arm and soft hands at shortstop. Flores is a below-average runner with a slow first step and below-average range. He has a thick lower half and is expected to move to third base or an outfield corner as he fills out. He needs to get stronger and develop more patience at the plate to maximize his offensive potential. Flores won't turn 19 until late in 2010, and the Mets may be less inclined to push young players in the wake of their front-office turnover. He could begin 2010 back at low Class A Savannah with the chance for a midseason promotion.
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  Ranked New York Mets #2 prospect in 2009
  As a 14-year-old at the Agua Linda Academy in Valencia, Venezuela, Flores already stood out against players preparing to sign contracts as international free agents. He belted 90-mph fastballs to the opposite field over a 300-foot wall. Organizers at the academy, which also has produced Pablo Sandoval (Giants), Mario Martinez (Mariners) and Alex Monsalve (Indians), were so impressed with Flores' arm that they debated grooming him as a pitcher before opting for shortstop. He signed with the Mets in 2007 for $750,000 and became short-season Brooklyn's youngest player ever when he finished the 2008 season there. Flores quickly established himself as a dangerous hitter, and in a Rookie-level Appalachian League game last summer, Danville walked him intentionally with runners at first and second. He has premium bat speed and a knack for finding the ball with the barrel of the bat. His patience and selectivity improved even as he saw a steady stream of offspeed pitches. Flores has a plus arm at shortstop, though he doesn't flash it on routine plays. Flores lacks first-step quickness and is a below-average runner (4.6 seconds to first base), so he doesn't profile as a shortstop down the line. He showed a tendency to chase pitches up in the zone and can get pull-happy. He's so green that the Kingsport coaching staff had to teach Flores how to dive for balls. Flores already has started to draw some Miguel Cabrera comparisons. He'll open 2009 at low Class A Savannah as a 17-year-old, and with the way the Mets challenge their top prospects, he could find himself as high as Double-A by his 18th birthday in August. New York will keep him at shortstop until he shows he can't play there, with third base or an outfield corner his eventual destination.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #17 prospect in 2008
  New York signed 15 players on the international market last summer, more than any other organization. Flores was the top player from that crop in terms of present tools and future potential, and he got the largest bonus at $750,000. He also was the only 2007 Mets international signee playing winter ball in Venezuela's winter minor league (the Parallel League), doing so at age 16. Flores currently lacks strength but has a projectable frame and should grow into his body and become a force with the bat. He has an advanced approach for a young player, not to mention a 16-year-old Latin American, and earns some internal comparisons to Miguel Cabrera for his present pull power and ability to use the whole field. Flores has the bat speed to catch up to good fastballs, though he's tall and may have to refine a swing that at times gets long. Club officials were most encouraged that he held his own against older pitchers in instructional league, never looking overmatched, and one said he had the best at-bats of anyone in camp. The biggest question scouts have on Flores is his future defensive home, and they're not as sold on his bat as the Mets are. He's a big, rangy shortstop who's likely to outgrow the position. He has the hands and arm to remain in the infield, unless his body goes south. Flores is the most likely of New York's 2007 international signees to jump on the fast track and play full-season ball in 2008 despite his tender age, but the system also has a glut of infielders at the lower levels. His assignment largely will depend on his spring-training performance.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #15 prospect in 2013
  Flores played most of the season as a 21-year-old yet was in his fifth year in a full-season league. He moved down the defensive spectrum from shortstop to second base and later to third in the majors, where he replaced the injured David Wright. He impressed managers with strong bat control and improving power (he tied for the league lead in slugging percentage), but his contact and walk rates regressed. Some of that can attributed to a lack of patience at the plate. When he gets a pitch he can handle, however, he has shown the ability to drive it to all fields. Flores is still working on his consistency in the field as he?s been moved around the diamond. His lack of footspeed and range mitigate his above-average, accurate arm.
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  Ranked Florida State League #19 prospect in 2012
  The Mets finally moved Flores off shortstop in his third stint in the FSL, and he responded by putting up the best numbers of his still-young career. After a promotion to Double-A in late June, he hit .311/.361/.494. Flores knows how to stay inside the baseball, and he does a good job of driving the ball to the opposite field. He projects as a potential plus hitter with average power. Though Flores always has shown offensive upside, his position remains in doubt. He's a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, and his heavy feet severely limit his range at third base. His hands are fine and he has a strong arm, but his lack of speed leaves first base as his only other option if he can't handle the hot corner.
• 
  Ranked Eastern League #18 prospect in 2012
  Flores bashed a career-high 18 homers this season, the year he finally put high Class A in his rearview mirror after taking more than 1,100 plate appearances for St. Lucie since 2010. The Mets promoted him to Double-A following an MVP performance in the Florida State all-star game and a .289/.336/.463 first-half batting line. Binghamton manager Pedro Lopez, who has managed Flores in four of his five pro seasons, said the 21-year-old benefited this season from the more patient approach stressed by Mets instructors. Flores saw more fastballs in hitter's counts and finished with the lowest strikeout and highest walk rates of his career. Flores' supreme hand-eye coordination and ability to let the ball travel deep produce high batting averages and a natural power stroke to right-center field. Like many young hitters with power, he has learned to turn on more inner-half fastballs and drove 15 of his 18 homers to left field this year. Flores played shortstop exclusively until this season, when he shifted to the other three infield positions, spending most of his time at third base. An utter lack of foot speed or first-step quickness hurts him no matter where he plays, but he throws well and has sure hands, making the hot corner his safest bet.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #20 prospect in 2011
  While Flores couldn't match the .300/.324/.415 numbers he put up at St. Lucie in the second half of 2010, his hitting skills still impressed league observers. He has an advanced feel for hitting for his age, making consistent contact, using the whole field and improving his pitch recognition as the season went on. As he fills out and gets stronger, he could become a 20-homer threat. "He's got a pretty good idea of what he's doing at the plate," Mauer said. "He knows the strike zone. He's going to hit some balls over the fence, no doubt about it." Flores' bat will have to carry him because his speed and athleticism are below-average and not conducive to playing shortstop at higher levels. He throws well enough to play third base, but some scouts think he lacks infield actions and eventually will have to move to an outfield corner or first base.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #10 prospect in 2010
  There are few questions about whether Flores will hit. Managers and scouts like his bat speed and his ability to square up the ball. But when it comes to which position he'll wind up playing, they hem and haw. Flores doesn't have the quick-twitch athleticism or first-step burst that shortstops need. He's already a well below-average runner who will get slower as he continues to fill out, which may prevent him from moving to the outfield. He has enough arm for third base, but if he doesn't have the lateral range for the hot corner, first base may be his only option. Flores may have enough bat for any position. For a teenager, he has uncanny recognition of what pitchers are trying to do to him. He has the bat speed and hand-eye coordination to be a plus hitter for both average and power.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #10 prospect in 2009
  Not many 17-year-olds can compete in a full-season league, but that's exactly what Flores did before turning 18 on Aug. 6. He didn't put up huge numbers but he consistently put the barrel on the ball. He also showed advanced strike-zone discipline and worked counts in his favor. As he fills out and becomes more aggressive, he should hit for more power to all fields. At shortstop, Flores has smooth actions with soft hands and flashes an above-average arm. But he has below-average range and is a well-below-average runner. He has a big lower half and has drawn comparisons to Miguel Cabrera, who moved to third base early in his big league career and then to first base. Flores is expected to do the same.
• 
  Ranked National League #2 prospect in 2008
  The Mets' 2007 international haul is shaping up to be a bumper crop of Latin American talent, and Flores could be the best, as he has drawn comparisons to a young Miguel Cabrera for his build, offensive potential and Venezuelan heritage. The youngest player in the league (he turned 17 on Aug. 6), Flores showed plus-plus bat speed and a knack for putting the barrel on the ball. He struck out in just 11 percent of his at-bats, the lowest rate among league batting title qualifiers. Though he's an aggressive hitter, he keeps his hands back well and adjusts to breaking balls. Flores also showed a willingness to use the whole field when behind in the count. His power at this stage is predominantly to his pull side, but his line-drive stroke and physicality suggest the potential for plus power. Flores has sound infield actions and hands. But he has below-average speed and lacks first-step quickness, making him a below-average defender overall at shortstop. His solid-average arm would play at third base, though, and his bat figures to profile at any position.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #59 prospect in 2011
• Ranked Baseball America's #88 prospect in 2010
• Ranked Baseball America's #47 prospect in 2009

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: A fixture on this list (peak chart position: No. 2 after the 2008-10 seasons) since signing out of Venezuela for $750,000 in 2007, Flores turned in his best season yet in 2012. He finished the year in Double-A and established career highs for homers (18) and OPS (.827). Scouting Report: Flores' supreme hand-eye coordination and ability to let the ball travel deep typically yield high batting averages and contact rates, as well as a natural power stroke to right-center field. He has learned to turn on more inner-half fastballs with experience, pulling 15 of his 18 homers last season to left field. Developing a more patient approach resulted in more fastballs in hitter's counts in 2012, as well as the best walk and strikeout rates of his career. Despite well below-average speed, Flores played exclusively at shortstop through his first four seasons, but he spent most of his time at third base in 2012. He has sure hands and a strong arm, but his lack of first-step quickness will be an issue wherever he plays. The Future: Flores can hit for average, but he may stop short of having profile power for first base or acceptable quickness to play third base or left field. With a strong showing at the Mets' new Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate, he could get his first taste of the majors in 2013.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Signed for $750,000 in 2007, Flores already has played 459 games in the United States, most of them as a teenager. (He turned 20 in August.) The Florida State League's youngest regular in 2010 and second-youngest in 2011, he saw his OPS drop from .739 to .689 in his second stint with St. Lucie, though his contact skills remained intact. Scouting Report: Flores stays inside the ball well and uses the whole field, but he almost makes too much contact for his own good. He won't fully tap into his offensive potential unless he learns to recognize and lay off pitches he can't drive. His natural power stroke carries the ball to center and right-center, which has suppressed his home run totals thus far. As he fills out his lean frame he could develop 20-homer power, which would be special at shortstop--but scouts give Flores no chance to stay up the middle. He's a well below-average runner with heavy feet and substandard range. He reads balls well off the bat and has an average arm, which could keep him on an infield corner. The Future: Flores played third base this offseason in the Venezuelan League, which is a more natural fit for his skills. His power production must take a giant step forward for his bat to profile there, however. He should reach Double-A in 2012 before he turns 21.
• December, 2008 Scouting Report
  As a 14-year-old at the Agua Linda Academy in Valencia, Venezuela, Flores already stood out against players preparing to sign contracts as international free agents. He belted 90-mph fastballs to the opposite field over a 300-foot wall. Organizers at the academy, which also has produced Pablo Sandoval (Giants), Mario Martinez (Mariners) and Alex Monsalve (Indians), were so impressed with Flores' arm that they debated grooming him as a pitcher before opting for shortstop. He signed with the Mets in 2007 for $750,000 and became short-season Brooklyn's youngest player ever when he finished the 2008 season there. Flores quickly established himself as a dangerous hitter, and in a Rookie-level Appalachian League game last summer, Danville walked him intentionally with runners at first and second. He has premium bat speed and a knack for finding the ball with the barrel of the bat. His patience and selectivity improved even as he saw a steady stream of offspeed pitches. Flores has a plus arm at shortstop, though he doesn't flash it on routine plays. Flores lacks first-step quickness and is a below-average runner (4.6 seconds to first base), so he doesn't profile as a shortstop down the line. He showed a tendency to chase pitches up in the zone and can get pull-happy. He's so green that the Kingsport coaching staff had to teach Flores how to dive for balls. Flores already has started to draw some Miguel Cabrera comparisons. He'll open 2009 at low Class A Savannah as a 17-year-old, and with the way the Mets challenge their top prospects, he could find himself as high as Double-A by his 18th birthday in August. New York will keep him at shortstop until he shows he can't play there, with third base or an outfield corner his eventual destination.