Heading into 2015 the Mets are full of expectations: growth in the pitching staff, the development of a core offense, and maybe even a playoff berth. There have been interesting developments through the first seven games including the fact that the Mets are only scoring runs when an error occurs, Jon Niese delivered his “first bad” start in ages, and Wilmer Flores has thus far fallen flat on his face. Flores was clearly the biggest question on a team that had a plethora of them and he has answered those questions with far more. So let’s take a recap of the first week of the Flores era. (Keep in mind, this is coming from a huge Wilmer Flores supporter).
Opening Day (Against Washington):
Offense: Flores’ bat was pretty quiet as he went up against Max Scherzer. This is no excuse. He struck out twice, flew out to center field, and had an infield pop-up with a runner on third. Not the most eventful Opening Day.
Defense: Flores actually looked fine on Opening Day, which included only a few opportunities.
Second Game (Against Washington):
Offense: This is the game that Flores actually got his first hit of the season and it was nothing special. There was a little tapper to the third base side and he was fortunate enough for it to stay fair. Other than that, it was a fairly uneventful game for Flores offensively. His biggest missed opportunity was not driving Kirk Nieuwenhuis after he stole second base.
Defense: Flores had no real problems during this game defensively as he didn’t make any key mistakes.
Third Game (Against Washington):
Offense: Flores ripped a single to left field and was part of an important sixth inning rally where David Wright eventually knocked him in.
Defense: This was the game where Flores started to be a bit shaky on the defensive side of the ball. He made an error in the fourth inning on a ball hit by his shortstop counterpart Ian Desmond. It was a throwing error but ultimately inconsequential as no runs were scored as a result of the miscue.
Fourth Game (Against Atlanta):
Offense: An absolute train wreck for Flores as he lined out with runners on the corners with a tied game. In addition, he was pinch-hit for in the ninth inning with a runner on first. This game was not his finest moment.
Defense: Yet this was also the game when the floodgates came open and Flores was the scapegoat. He committed an error in the first inning which allowed two more hits and eventually a run to score, then a second error in the third inning causing another run to score. Additionally, there were three more throwing mistakes before he was luckily bailed out. This should have been rock bottom for him.
Fifth Game (Against Atlanta):
Offense: This was another hitless game for Flores. He struck out in the sixth inning which was another steak in his heart, but the worst part of the night was during the seventh inning when he grounded into a double play with nobody out and the bases loaded. The only positive part of the night was his walk in the sixth.
Defense: While he did not make any errors in the game, he still seemed pretty shaky with the glove all night.
Sixth Game (Against Atlanta):
Offense: This game had its ups and downs for Flores as he managed to strike out two times, once with runners in scoring position. On the other side of the spectrum he was able to hit a booming double to center field and eventually score on a Bartolo Colon RBI single.
Defense: This was actually a pretty quiet day in the field for Flores except for one mistake. Flores did not attempt to turn a double play quickly enough in the second inning which ultimately led to a two-RBI triple by Andrelton Simmons. In the end, it was forgotten because the Mets won.
In summary, it has not been the ideal beginning for Flores. He has made several errors and has not looked all that sharp at the plate. If he continues to struggle for the rest of the month, there might need to be a change; otherwise, the Mets should let him play. It appears the team is strong enough to overcome a few mistakes and they were close to coming back in both losses against Atlanta. Just take it easy Flores, good times will come.
Like any young player, I think he needs to find a rhythm where his back glove or bat doesn’t carry over into the other. Right now it seems that the two worlds collide. Hopefully with more experience, he can make up for bad plays on the opposite side of the ball. I think that will ultimately be what makes Flores a major leaguer or not.
It’s an interesting point about his bat that you make Pat. As fans we often question the defensive side of the game, meanwhile all we have heard about Flores is his offensive game. If that does not come through at some point in the season, the Mets are going to be in trouble. I think with consistent at-bats, he can turn into a decent hitter with some pop, and become an average shortstop in the MLB.