The Mets have made a variety of roster moves over the past week amidst a series of trades and injuries. Infielder Luis Guillorme is one of those recalled to the Mets, he is now playing his second stint with the club so far this season. Most experts seem to peg him as a utility player, able to give excellent defense at second, short, and third, but without enough offense for him to be an everyday player in the majors. Perhaps the experts are right, but there is hope of some higher upside than that.
There is very little debate about his defensive abilities, which were perhaps first highlighted by his remarkable 2017 spring training snatch of an errant bat as it flew into the dugout. Nearly every scouting report gushes about the quickness of his hands, rated by most as among the best in professional baseball, and his other defensive tools such as arm and range are very good as well. His range factor for shortstop in AAA this season was 4.29, and that figure is in the ballpark with the kind of RF posted by Gold Glove winner Rey Ordonez in his heyday with the Mets.
As to batting, Guillorme has been overmatched quite a bit at the big league level this year. His slash line is a microscopic .177/.250/.210, in a small sample of only 62 AB in the majors. Looking at this AAA numbers this year with Las Vegas, he has slashed at .301/.376/.404 rate. Of course, batting figures tend to be inflated at Las Vegas, due mainly to the high elevation there. That higher altitude mostly helps flyballs, and the power-challenged Guillorme only had a 20.7% flyball rate on batted balls this year at Las Vegas, so the case could be made that his offensive stats are not as overly inflated by the Vegas factor as some other players stats are.
Guillorme has shown a good eye and plate discipline in his climb through the minors, in 2017 he posted a .376 OBP, the same number that he posted this year in AAA. His lifetime minor league OBP is .362. He also sprays the ball around the diamond, this year in the minors he had a 33.1% pull rate, 23.2% rate to center, and 43.7% to the opposite field. Guillorme is only 23, so there is time for him to further hone his offensive skills.
After his most recent recall, manager Mickey Callaway inserted Guillorme into the starting lineup against the Pirates on Sunday and received an immediate dividend from the decision. Guillorme slapped a two-out infield single, then scored the game’s only run on a double by pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Due to his lack of power, Guillorme is probably not destined to be a star player. But as a plus fielder at premium positions, who has the potential to be a high OBP guy in the majors, Guillorme could end up being a solid contributor for the Mets, and possibly even a starter.
Not destined to be a star player…. good analysis. Good glove,no bat and the Mets play him at third? How about SS or 2B?
The concrete infield in LV has as much to do with offensive (& defensive, btw) stats as the air quality.
Thanks Hobie, did not know that, maybe they should water the field more in Las Vegas
I liked the notion of Guillorme at first, and then I saw him play in the bigs. He’d need to be Andrelton Simmons type defender to let his bat develop. Unfortunately, we did not see that. Will the glove “come along”? Can we wait for the glove while simultaneously waiting for the bat?
My gut says no.
He’s played 135.1 innings in the majors, including 94.1 at 3B, a position he had played for all of 17 innings prior to this year.
I don’t believe Guillorme is a future All-Star. I don’t feel like he’s a guy you can write in the lineup for 10 years and consider a position solved. But I do think he’s a guy you could slot in at 2B or SS and have him be a position holder, a guy who let’s you solve other problems first. I think there’s value in that.
The question the Mets should be asking now is who’s better in this position holder slot at 2B — Guillorme or Jeff McNeil? The 2019 Mets should not spend any money at 2B – they should use one of these minimum wage internal options at the position and fix other issues.
Agree with Guillorme and McNeil as possible placeholders. That said, Mets can’t rule out spending on a 2b upgrade for 2019, if they wind up trying to compete next year. They need to add offense and defense simultaneously, and while it may be remote, if 2b prevents itself as the best spot to do this, it must be considered.
I am confident that Guillorme can provide plus D at 2b, and hit in the 8th spot if in the line up. McNeil is the bigger question and to me. First, can he carry that offense and pop into the majors, and if so, where is he less of a defensive liability, 3rd or 2nd. Lastly, it surprises me somewhat, but Rosario can’t be a given for 2019 unless he raises his level of play on both sides of the ball. In that case, Guillorme could be the placeholder at SS, where solid to plus defense could help the team and the soft bat in the 8 spot is better absorbed. Maybe Rosario can add us defense at 2b? I know the offense is horrendous, but the defense is worse than horrendous and must be addressed going forward.
I have to tell you guys, “place holder” does not win championships. On most teams a guy like Guillorme wont even be on the 40 man roster. In the end, hes team filler, which is necessary, but will never be more than a quad A player at best.
c’mon Chris..Guillorme is 23 and a capable middle infielder—at this stage of his career, he’d be on the 45 of any team that had drafted him.
I’m not an LG fan, but facts is…..
hes roster filler. capable possibly. But we are hearing the Mets are looking for the post season next year…yes next year…and guillorme does fit into that plan in any way shape or form.
Win championships… let’s try to be a 500 team first! Baby steps, a little at a time.
Any time a guy can manage ab’s and Count, he has upside—especially a guy doing it against high level AA/AAA. Nimmo is a guy who’s on the path to using that AB Management skill and joining it to situations when he’s much more aggressive as a Hitter.
Guillorme is a looker and taker—and when he swings, it looks like a 2 strike approach, no matter the count. I don’t see The Hitter buried in LG…but I wouldn;t rule out the possibility that He can change, built around that one skill.
My dead grandmother hits better than Guillorme waste of roster spot.
He is the type of guy who is only on your 25 man roster if your team is really bad. If the Mets are ever good again Luis will be a distant memory.