With spring training underway, the Mets seem to have a mostly set starting lineup for the upcoming season. It is reasonable to assume that the starting lineup most days would include an outfield of Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and Dominic Smith. James McCann is set at catcher, and the infield would include Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, with J.D. Davis as the likely third baseman.
Perhaps the only one of these presumed starters who is somewhat shaky would be Davis. He showed he can hit for power and average in 2019, (.307/.369/.527) although his numbers did slip considerably in last years’ abbreviated schedule to .247/.371/.389. His fielding at third is more than a little suspect though, with DRS figures of -9 in 2019 and -8 last year. If Davis gets off to a poor start with either, or both bat and glove, or gets hurt, who is up next at third? And would he be up to the task?
We also know that the Mets were not entirely enamored with the thought of Davis as the starting third sacker. During the off-season they were linked with attempts to acquire one of several players via trade or free agency, including Justin Turner, Nolan Arenado and Kris Bryant.
In the depth chart on MLB.com, utility infielder Luis Guillorme is right behind Davis in the third base listing. Guillorme has been a defense-first infielder with the flexibility to play second, short and third, and play them all pretty well. He’s very smooth in the field with great hand-eye coordination. His arm may not be a rocket but it is accurate and he has a quick release on his throws. He may not have raw speed but he does have quick reactions.
His bat however, had been a problem for his first few years in the majors. He is not a big guy and he lacks power, and his BA has been low, at least until last year. The left-handed batter has a tendency to rarely pull the ball, in 2020 46.3% of the balls he hit into play were struck to the opposite field. His main skills at the plate included a good eye which translated into respectable OBP figures, and the ability to make contact and thus avoid strikeouts. Then Guillorme took steps forward in 2020.
As we all know it was a small sample last year, but Guillorme’s stats were much better. His slash line was .333/.426/.439 in 30 games with 68 PA. In the Batted Ball stat from FanGraphs, Guillorme had a soft contact rate of 9.8 %, medium contact at 51.2, and hard contact at 39%. One would like a higher hard contact figure, but it is about 4 times his soft contact rate.
Of course, his improved 2020 stats could just be a fluke, but Guillorme did make changes to his approach at the plate. He tweaked his swing and simplified it, reducing the number of moving parts. In the February 27 New York Post, Guillorme credited batting coach Chili Davis and assistant batting coach Tom Slater for help in making the changes and the resulting improved performance. Of course, Chili Davis was coaching remotely last year, and he might be of even more help to Guillorme by being right with the team this season.
In the past, the Mets have not always used Guillorme in the most efficient manner. In his rookie season of 2018, prior to the swing changes mentioned above, Guillorme was clearly over matched by MLB pitching, although he was still impressive defensively. In 35 games, with 74 PA, he put up a microscopic slash line of .209/.284/.239. Incredibly, then manager Mickey Callaway used Guillorme more as a pinch hitter than he did as a defensive replacement. This was clearly not playing to Guillorme’s strength.
For what it is worth CBS Sports recently predicted a breakout candidate for each MLB team. The network chose Guillorme as the potential break out player for the Mets. That sure would be sweet even if it was only as utility infielder/defensive replacement for Davis at third late in the game.
The best scenario for the Mets would be for J.D. Davis to return to his fine 2019 batting form, and to show some improvement in fielding third base. However, if Davis should falter, Guillorme should at least rate a shot at taking over the position. A good defensive player at third who can get on base at a good clip, batting toward the bottom part of the order, would not be the worst scenario for the Mets.
Finally, I get to join someone in praising Guillorme. Besides all the stats and all the eye-tests that Guillorme can be subject to, I have this feeling about the guy that he is a rock. He’s the strong, silent big brother that keeps people honest, and a sure hand in a sea of troubles. All he needs is a chance to contribute regularly, and he will show himself invaluable.
Whenever you look at champions teams, there are the obvious stars that came through, and then there are the solid rock players who made the team really strong. That will be Guillorme.
I know this is an untechnical, unscientific post. But I think Luis G. will be one of the most important players on the team going into the future.
I like Guillorme as well. I think he is the itinerant infielder a team needs. I feel like you could put any glove on this guy, including catcher, and get a professional inning out of the guy. Good teams need and know how to play a guy like Guillorme. I think the 2020 offense remains to be seen as more than a pandemic fluke, but he’s capable of giving a professional AB.
The other day against Miami, Guillorme made a very nice read on a grounder to short with a runner at 2B. It was hit hard and the runner committed to third, so he made a crisp, impeccable throw to McNeil, who promptly managed to drop the ball, on his way to committing 3 errors at 3B in one game. Thats another matter of course, but its worth noting that McNeil should never play at 3B.
Chris, I think McNeil would benefit from having a set position, and that would be second base.
The “ititerant infielder.” A turn of phrase equal to Guillorme’s turn of a double play. Well done, Chris.
I also like Guillorme. The sight test has shown me he is a major leaguer and should be a good bench player for the Mets. Analytically it is too small of a sample size to project his hitting and not enough at 3B defensively to which he has a -3 DRS . I think his major role the team will be the late inning defensive replacement Davis and when Lindor needs a rest at SS. When needed, Villar, the better all around player, should start at 3B and 2B before Guillorme.
I like Guillorme too. We dont need him to hit home runs. If he can hit for average and grind out at bats, he could a solid player for us. Remember, we won 108 games in 1986 with Rafael Santana at short.
The rest of the lineup can hit. If he hits, he will probably get a lot of playing time. If Davis starts off slow, it may be his job to win.
In the second half of 2019, Guillorme had an .866 OPS in 48 PAs. Combined with 2020 it’s still a small sample, but he does seem to be a more potent hitter than earlier in his career. For me, I love how he plays the game and hope he gets a legit shot in 2021.
Somehow, without any evidence, I just feel like Guillorme will get most of his time at second base this year. McNeil scares me with a glove on. He might be better at second than third, but I really think his best position is left field. Not optimal.
Luis is a pleasure to watch and easy to root for. He seems to do a lot of the little things right and rarely does anything that hurts the team. As others above stated, every good team needs a guy like him.
Guillorme and Lindor would be magic in the middle of the infield. Defense wins championships, offense sells tickets and finishes 26-34 in last place.