With six days left before pitchers and Molinas report, let’s look at question #6 to be answered in Port St. Lucie this spring: what will become of Wilmer Flores?
wilmer flores
A Look into the Future: Top Shortstop Prospects
The ground is full of dirty,
dirt that is full of memories.
Do you know how many played on this dirt before?
Ordonez, Olerud, Bordick, etc…
Maybe one day I can play on the dirt.
I’ve heard it’s softer than a mattress.
Short poems can explain a lot. If this poorly constructed poem did not inform you of what the article will be about, it is about the New York Mets infield prospects.
Before I try to convince you that these few will wear the blue and orange in the coming years, let me advise you, I am no expert. I do not hold a degree in predicting where and how a prospects career will play out. Maybe player X becomes the next big shot (cough … Nelson Cruz). Maybe player Y becomes a huge bust (cough … Fernando Martinez). But as fans, we love reading about the future. We hope that these teenagers and young adults can bring us something to be proud about.
For now, let’s focus on the left side of the infield. If you think back 3 years ago, you’d be sold that David Wright and Jose Reyes would be the face of the franchise for 10 years to come. Now to the present, David Wright is constantly being rumored around the trading market and as of right now, Jose Reyes is a free agent.
Ruben Tejada is nice shortstop who could blossom into an okay hitter, but he’s not Jose Reyes. Quite frankly, I do not think there will be another Jose Reyes in baseball, in the sense of what he brings to the plate each time he steps up. As it looks right now, the Mets answer might not be in their farm system to replace Jose Reyes. Sure Ruben Tejada could fit, but fans will just complain about his production. Hopefully I am wrong, but here’s my best shot at providing some insight on the shortstops of the future.
Down on the Farm: St. Lucie Mets
With summer closing and my second year of college approaching, I picked up another job. This job is on a farm. The description says I must weed and harvest. So I’ll do the same with the Mets, as I take a look “on the farm” at some of the Mets prospects (or weeds — it depends on your perception).
Is Wilmer Flores the Rodney Dangerfield of Prospects?
NOTE: this is a post by Matt Himelfarb
Project Prospect released their top 100 prospect list yesterday. The list included six Mets, ranked as followed:
42: Reese Havens
48: Matt Harvey
53: Fernando Martinez
83: Jenrry Mejia
94: Brad Emaus
100: Wilmer Flores
Yup, you read that right. Brad Emaus is more valuable than Wilmer Flores. Also, according to Project Prospect, MySpace is way cooler than Facebook, Godfather Three puts one and two to shame, and Dane Cook isn’t a total douche (okay, I made that part up).
When I first saw the rankings yesterday afternoon, it appeared to me as a subtle cry for attention. And by subtle cry of attention, I mean that annoying freshman girl who acts dumber than she actually is. The one who is so beautiful and whom you would love to hook up with, until the moment she starts talking.
Upon reflection, however,
The Problem with Prospect Rankings
I have been following Amazin Avenue’s Community Prospect List. It appears that Kirk Nieuwenhuis has emerged as the consensus number-two prospect in the system behind Wilmer Flores. I am not saying I disagree with the ranking, but I will say, if accurate, it is more a testament to the weakness of the Mets farm system, … Read more
Minor League Look: Wilmer Flores
NOTE: This is a report from MetsToday’s official sabermetrician and minor league correspondent Matt Himelfarb. Enjoy.
Wilmer Flores has come a long way since Summer 2008 in Kingsport.
Two years ago, Flores, just 16 years old, was assigned to the Kingsport Mets of the Rookie level Appalachian League. At that age, any semblance of production- any semblance of playing time, for that matter- warrants some attention. Yet, Flores took the league by storm, hitting .310/.351/.490 in 265 plate-appearances before a late-season promotion to Brooklyn.
Of course, there were some growing pains along the way.
A little over a month into the season, the Princeton Rays came into town for a three-game set. Tim Beckham, the number one overall pick that June, was there as well, setting the stage for quite a spectacle. For three nights, Hunter Wright Stadium, capacity 2,500, would boast the two best prospects in the league.
“All of a sudden you got probably the best two players in the league”, than Kingsport manager and current Sand Gnats skipper Pedro Lopez says, “and everybody wants to know who’s the best? Who’s the better shortstop in the league? And I saw this kid is really nice, really polite. Its unbelievable.”
Than came his first interview with a reporter from New York, with Lopez acting as translator. Most of it went something like this:
Mets ST Game 9
A few notes … J.J. Putz Putz, of course, did not play for the Mets but rather for Team USA in the WBC. Putz was called on to close out a 6-5 ballgame against Canada, and notched his first save in a nail-biter of a ninth inning. The good news for Mets fans is that … Read more