Wilmer Flores Scouting Report (2009)
After enduring two seasons of downright embarrassing baseball from the 2007-2008 Savannah Sand Gnats, the day had finally arrived. Wilmer Flores and Jefry Marte, two of the top six prospects in the organization manning the left side of the infield for a ball club with a chance to actually win a game or two. No more Josh Thole and 0 home runs from the cleanup spot or 24-year old organizational players. Two of the most exciting prospects in baseball were here, and this was my first chance to watch them live.
Flores, one of the crown jewels of the Mets system and near consensus number two prospect within the organization, exploded onto the scene in 2008 with a .307/.347/.468 line as a 16-year old during his first taste of baseball in the lower forty-eight after signing for a high six figure bonus as an international free agent. He enters 2009 as a top fifty overall prospect and one of the more discussed prospects in baseball due to the perfect storm of his being a Met, Venezuelan, and very young.
Before I work too far into this report, keep in mind Flores is a mere seventeen years of age and what he is now is maybe 1% of what he should be by the time he hits New York. Between glimpses of his immense talent was a player whose baseball maturity was that of the junior in high school he would be were he born in Florida and not the Dominican Republic. With that said, the following is my initial game report on Wilmer Flores.
Overall, the performance itself was mixed, but to be seventeen and holding his own against a team full of 21-23 year old players was quite impressive. I have no doubts the power is real and Flores will be a VERY dangerous hitter as soon as he learns to work a count. He's still much a work in progress, but I can definitely see where the Miguel Cabrera comparisons are coming from. In watching "Miggy" during his rookie season, I remember thinking he would be downright scary once he fills out. Flores could be the same kind of scary.
In order for this to happen though, Flores is going to have to develop a more professional approach. Showing a minus arm from the shortstop position the entire game and lazily setting up in his defensive stance between pitches looked really bad and I can see a scenario where he is labeled a bit of a primadonna by the New York media. Maybe this point is moot since he will likely wind up at a corner (infield or outfield), but Jefry Marte made a better first impression in person due to his simply looking the part of a professional. Flores should take note.
Flores and Marte combine to form one of the most exciting tandems in minor league baseball this season and will hopefully put butts in Grayson Stadium seats. After two years of terrible baseball, Savannah fans deserve to see what hopes to be the future of the Mets franchise.
Flores, one of the crown jewels of the Mets system and near consensus number two prospect within the organization, exploded onto the scene in 2008 with a .307/.347/.468 line as a 16-year old during his first taste of baseball in the lower forty-eight after signing for a high six figure bonus as an international free agent. He enters 2009 as a top fifty overall prospect and one of the more discussed prospects in baseball due to the perfect storm of his being a Met, Venezuelan, and very young.
Before I work too far into this report, keep in mind Flores is a mere seventeen years of age and what he is now is maybe 1% of what he should be by the time he hits New York. Between glimpses of his immense talent was a player whose baseball maturity was that of the junior in high school he would be were he born in Florida and not the Dominican Republic. With that said, the following is my initial game report on Wilmer Flores.
- Tall and lean; Looked every bit of his 6'3" listed height
- Swam in his uniform; Plenty of room to fill out; Especially through the shoulders
- Should grow out of the shortstop position; Footwork was a little awkward and slow
- Average athlete at this point; Should lose a step or two as he continues to grow; Still growing into his body
- Upright stance; Tendency to pull off outside pitches and breaking balls
- Guess hitter at this point; Did not seem to understand how to work a count; Weak fly ball on first pitch fastball with the winning run on 2nd base
- Jammed badly first at bat; Fisted bloop single to right field
- Didn't really have a chance to show arm strength; Throws between innings looked like he was throwing the shot put
- Flores made all the plays, but it was not pretty; Needs to get in better defensive position both pre-pitch and when the ball is in play
- Swing can be a little long and inconsistent; Exploded through the strike zone at times; Kept hands inside the ball well on an inside fastball
Overall, the performance itself was mixed, but to be seventeen and holding his own against a team full of 21-23 year old players was quite impressive. I have no doubts the power is real and Flores will be a VERY dangerous hitter as soon as he learns to work a count. He's still much a work in progress, but I can definitely see where the Miguel Cabrera comparisons are coming from. In watching "Miggy" during his rookie season, I remember thinking he would be downright scary once he fills out. Flores could be the same kind of scary.
In order for this to happen though, Flores is going to have to develop a more professional approach. Showing a minus arm from the shortstop position the entire game and lazily setting up in his defensive stance between pitches looked really bad and I can see a scenario where he is labeled a bit of a primadonna by the New York media. Maybe this point is moot since he will likely wind up at a corner (infield or outfield), but Jefry Marte made a better first impression in person due to his simply looking the part of a professional. Flores should take note.
Flores and Marte combine to form one of the most exciting tandems in minor league baseball this season and will hopefully put butts in Grayson Stadium seats. After two years of terrible baseball, Savannah fans deserve to see what hopes to be the future of the Mets franchise.
Wilmer Flores Scouting Report (2009)
Wilmer Flores' 2009 season started with a thud and ended with a fizzle. In-between was a period of productive baseball which saw Flores' batting average approach .300. Due to poor power numbers and a likely position change in the future, Flores' prospect stock has taken a hit as the 2010 season creeps closer. With his being so young, does he deserve a mulligan for a seemingly disappointing season in Savannah?
Physique & Athleticism: Flores' conditioning improved drastically throughout the season. A source reported to me Flores had drastically improved his eating habits leading to his becoming a much leaner 6'3". With little muscle development, Flores will take a couple of years or more to fill out his frame. He projects for additional size through the shoulders, but it is too early to say how much muscle his frame can carry considering his age and the possibility he is not done growing.
In terms of athleticism, Flores' movements can look a bit uncoordinated and awkward. While this may simply be a sign of a big kid who simply has not grown into his body, his slow feet and elongated baseball movements can not be ignored. A good plyometric program could do Flores wonders.
Offense: With explosive wrists and excellent hand-eye coordination, Flores has barely scratched the surface in terms of offensive development. At his peak, Flores showed the ability to pepper line drives to all fields with a knack for staying back on breaking balls. When seeing the ball well, he worked deeper counts which led to much better pitches to hit and consistently hard contact. By August, Flores began to show his age as he seemingly hit a wall overnight. His pitch recognition and swing mechanics regressed leading to Flores' batting average dropping close to thirty points.
At present, Flores' hitting mechanics can be downright messy. With his upright stance, he is prone to changing his eye level during his stride causing him to swing under the baseball. He also has no discernible load and his front elbow drifts away from his body causing his back elbow to drop as a first movement to the ball. This creates bat drag through the strike zone and led to a number of weak pop-ups to the right side. His mechanics do not allow him to free up his hands which limits his power and leaves him susceptible to fastballs in. This, along with Flores' not incorporating his hips to generate power, is what has suppressed whatever power Flores does have.
Defense: While Flores is unlikely to stay at shortstop, to assume he has no defensive value is an unfair assessment. His defensive movements are awkward which hides the fact his hands are fantastic. He adjusts quickly to bad hops and is a hoover on balls in front of him. The first rule a shortstop is taught it to charge everything and Flores is one of the best I have in this regard. Over the course of the 2009 season, his arm strength and throwing mechanics improved as he flashed a solid average arm. Lateral range will always be a major question mark due to lack of foot speed, but he has enough going for him defensively to project as a solid corner infielder with the ability to play left field as well.
Speed: With the nickname of "Tortuga" or turtle in Spanish, speed will certainly never be a part of Flores' game. When running, he has a foot which dangles loosely leading scouts to wonder whether Flores suffered a foot injury as a child.
Wilmer Flores' evaluations vary wildly as he was probably the most difficult player to scout in the "Sally". One evening, he smokes Julio Teheran for two line drive singles, and the next, he goes 0-4 with three weak pop-ups to the right side. Over the course of 200 or so at bats, I witnessed the full spectrum of what Flores is capable of and remain bullish he can be an impact prospect if he is;
1. handled by the Mets organization with kid gloves
2. overhauls his swing mechanics
Both may be difficult as the Mets organization is known for rushing its top talent and Flores developed a reputation for being a bit lackadaisical both on and off the playing field. After only marginal success in 2009, I would leave him in Savannah until the 2010 all-star break before a promotion to Port St. Lucie.
Physique & Athleticism: Flores' conditioning improved drastically throughout the season. A source reported to me Flores had drastically improved his eating habits leading to his becoming a much leaner 6'3". With little muscle development, Flores will take a couple of years or more to fill out his frame. He projects for additional size through the shoulders, but it is too early to say how much muscle his frame can carry considering his age and the possibility he is not done growing.
In terms of athleticism, Flores' movements can look a bit uncoordinated and awkward. While this may simply be a sign of a big kid who simply has not grown into his body, his slow feet and elongated baseball movements can not be ignored. A good plyometric program could do Flores wonders.
Offense: With explosive wrists and excellent hand-eye coordination, Flores has barely scratched the surface in terms of offensive development. At his peak, Flores showed the ability to pepper line drives to all fields with a knack for staying back on breaking balls. When seeing the ball well, he worked deeper counts which led to much better pitches to hit and consistently hard contact. By August, Flores began to show his age as he seemingly hit a wall overnight. His pitch recognition and swing mechanics regressed leading to Flores' batting average dropping close to thirty points.
At present, Flores' hitting mechanics can be downright messy. With his upright stance, he is prone to changing his eye level during his stride causing him to swing under the baseball. He also has no discernible load and his front elbow drifts away from his body causing his back elbow to drop as a first movement to the ball. This creates bat drag through the strike zone and led to a number of weak pop-ups to the right side. His mechanics do not allow him to free up his hands which limits his power and leaves him susceptible to fastballs in. This, along with Flores' not incorporating his hips to generate power, is what has suppressed whatever power Flores does have.
Defense: While Flores is unlikely to stay at shortstop, to assume he has no defensive value is an unfair assessment. His defensive movements are awkward which hides the fact his hands are fantastic. He adjusts quickly to bad hops and is a hoover on balls in front of him. The first rule a shortstop is taught it to charge everything and Flores is one of the best I have in this regard. Over the course of the 2009 season, his arm strength and throwing mechanics improved as he flashed a solid average arm. Lateral range will always be a major question mark due to lack of foot speed, but he has enough going for him defensively to project as a solid corner infielder with the ability to play left field as well.
Speed: With the nickname of "Tortuga" or turtle in Spanish, speed will certainly never be a part of Flores' game. When running, he has a foot which dangles loosely leading scouts to wonder whether Flores suffered a foot injury as a child.
Wilmer Flores' evaluations vary wildly as he was probably the most difficult player to scout in the "Sally". One evening, he smokes Julio Teheran for two line drive singles, and the next, he goes 0-4 with three weak pop-ups to the right side. Over the course of 200 or so at bats, I witnessed the full spectrum of what Flores is capable of and remain bullish he can be an impact prospect if he is;
1. handled by the Mets organization with kid gloves
2. overhauls his swing mechanics
Both may be difficult as the Mets organization is known for rushing its top talent and Flores developed a reputation for being a bit lackadaisical both on and off the playing field. After only marginal success in 2009, I would leave him in Savannah until the 2010 all-star break before a promotion to Port St. Lucie.
Wilmer Flores Scouting Report 2010
Wilmer Flores struggled through his full season debut leading many to back off the lofty expectations originally laid out for him. Miguel Cabrera comparisons quickly faded and any discussion about Flores morphed into his not having enough bat to play a corner position (infield or outfield).
It seems nobody let Flores in on the conversation as he raked to the tune of .341/.388/.560 in April quieting many of his doubters, and once again making him a Mets darling. As Ike Davis powered his way through prospect eligibility, Fernando Martinez fell to yet another injury, Jenrry Mejia threw garbage innings in New York, and the big three of Kyle Allen, Jeurys Familia, and Robert Carson floundered, Flores was busy cementing himself as the top prospect in the organization.
His surge continued into mid-May before the wheels fell off seemingly overnight. Over the past month, a prolonged slump has brought Flores' gaudy early numbers crashing back to earth. His overall line of .291/.361/.456 remains very strong for an 18-year old in the South Atlantic League, but his April led many to believe Flores was not only worthy of any and all hype received since his signing, but might actually be better!
Physique & Athleticism: Much stronger than in 2009, Flores has put on 10-15 pounds of lean muscle and now has visible muscle definition through his forearms. Some of the awkward movements discussed in my earlier reports have also ironed themselves out as Flores is now a more fluid player. However, he still projects as a below-average athlete at full physical maturity. His athleticism should not affect his offensive game as it has, and will continue to come much more naturally to him.
Hitting: Wilmer Flores has a stronger set up this season as his stance has his hands back in a stronger hitting position than last year. His weight is also shifted more on his back leg allowing for better weight transfer. When going well, Flores' body language speaks of supreme confidence. His load and swing are fluid and his wrists generate excellent bat whip. Seeing him turn on an inside fastball can be a thing of beauty as he keeps his hands inside and drops the barrel on the baseball peppering line drives down the left field line. When Flores trusts his hands, his ability to hit for power up the middle and to right-center field also increases dramatically as he lets the ball travel deep in the zone before exploding on pitches middle-out. Flores also rarely swings at a first pitch when things are going well and tends to work much deeper counts. This has led to his nearly doubling his walk rate in the early going as teams have consistently worked around him since his hot start.
However, Flores either runs VERY hot or VERY cold. When struggling, Flores' hands become "herky jerky" in his pre-swing and this can throw off his timing mechanism. His feet also inch closer together leading to a more exaggerated stride which may alter his eye level. Additionally, he will sometimes feature a double-tap in his load which does not seem nearly as natural as the simple "walk-away" step he employs when hitting well. Flores is slow to make adjustments leading to prolonged slumps. While this is normal for young hitters, his contact skills and quick hands are those of a high-average hitter. With his power projections being above average, but not elite, hundred at bat cold spells are simply not going to cut it long term for a player whose value will be heavily tied into his hit tool. Flores' body language also changes and he becomes visibly antsy at the plate. He swings at anything near the strike zone and will take himself out of at bats. He rarely strikes out, but his being over-aggressive on bad balls early in counts leads to weak contact and easy pop outs.
Defense: Flores' increased athleticism has led to slightly better range this season. His hands are still excellent, and his arm is playable on the left side of the infield. He slows the game down, does a great job of charging the ball and has the ability to make very difficult adjustments on bad hops. However, he will not stay at shortstop long term and will need to find a new home. In 2009, word spread of his being an albatross defensively to the point where his glove would have to be hidden in left field or first base. This opinion is now posted all over the Internet and has been challenged, not only by myself, but by every scout I have spoken to this season. Flores has the hands, reactions, and arm to play at least an average third base, if not a tick above. To assume less would be underestimating his abilities.
Speed: Still well below average, Flores has cut his home-to-first times by two-tenths of a second from last season. I have clocked multiple 4.6 second times to first and believe his times will stabilize in the 4.6 range. Flores will never be a base stealing threat, but he is legging out more doubles than last season which is a huge plus for his overall value.
At this point, I have seen upwards of 300 Wilmer Flores plate appearances and continue to be impressed by his offensive abilities and unheralded defensive prowess. His overall stat line is tremendous when considering his age and the level of competition and he saves his best at bats for highly ranked prospects. This season alone, I have witnessed him take excellent swings off of Braves prospect Arodys Vizcaino, Astros prospect Tanner Bushue, Rockies prospect Tyler Matzek and others. The Mets organization has done the right thing by slowing down his time table and forcing him to dominate for a period of time prior to a potential promotion. This new philosophy will do wonders for his development and make him a much stronger player long term.
It seems nobody let Flores in on the conversation as he raked to the tune of .341/.388/.560 in April quieting many of his doubters, and once again making him a Mets darling. As Ike Davis powered his way through prospect eligibility, Fernando Martinez fell to yet another injury, Jenrry Mejia threw garbage innings in New York, and the big three of Kyle Allen, Jeurys Familia, and Robert Carson floundered, Flores was busy cementing himself as the top prospect in the organization.
His surge continued into mid-May before the wheels fell off seemingly overnight. Over the past month, a prolonged slump has brought Flores' gaudy early numbers crashing back to earth. His overall line of .291/.361/.456 remains very strong for an 18-year old in the South Atlantic League, but his April led many to believe Flores was not only worthy of any and all hype received since his signing, but might actually be better!
Physique & Athleticism: Much stronger than in 2009, Flores has put on 10-15 pounds of lean muscle and now has visible muscle definition through his forearms. Some of the awkward movements discussed in my earlier reports have also ironed themselves out as Flores is now a more fluid player. However, he still projects as a below-average athlete at full physical maturity. His athleticism should not affect his offensive game as it has, and will continue to come much more naturally to him.
Hitting: Wilmer Flores has a stronger set up this season as his stance has his hands back in a stronger hitting position than last year. His weight is also shifted more on his back leg allowing for better weight transfer. When going well, Flores' body language speaks of supreme confidence. His load and swing are fluid and his wrists generate excellent bat whip. Seeing him turn on an inside fastball can be a thing of beauty as he keeps his hands inside and drops the barrel on the baseball peppering line drives down the left field line. When Flores trusts his hands, his ability to hit for power up the middle and to right-center field also increases dramatically as he lets the ball travel deep in the zone before exploding on pitches middle-out. Flores also rarely swings at a first pitch when things are going well and tends to work much deeper counts. This has led to his nearly doubling his walk rate in the early going as teams have consistently worked around him since his hot start.
However, Flores either runs VERY hot or VERY cold. When struggling, Flores' hands become "herky jerky" in his pre-swing and this can throw off his timing mechanism. His feet also inch closer together leading to a more exaggerated stride which may alter his eye level. Additionally, he will sometimes feature a double-tap in his load which does not seem nearly as natural as the simple "walk-away" step he employs when hitting well. Flores is slow to make adjustments leading to prolonged slumps. While this is normal for young hitters, his contact skills and quick hands are those of a high-average hitter. With his power projections being above average, but not elite, hundred at bat cold spells are simply not going to cut it long term for a player whose value will be heavily tied into his hit tool. Flores' body language also changes and he becomes visibly antsy at the plate. He swings at anything near the strike zone and will take himself out of at bats. He rarely strikes out, but his being over-aggressive on bad balls early in counts leads to weak contact and easy pop outs.
Defense: Flores' increased athleticism has led to slightly better range this season. His hands are still excellent, and his arm is playable on the left side of the infield. He slows the game down, does a great job of charging the ball and has the ability to make very difficult adjustments on bad hops. However, he will not stay at shortstop long term and will need to find a new home. In 2009, word spread of his being an albatross defensively to the point where his glove would have to be hidden in left field or first base. This opinion is now posted all over the Internet and has been challenged, not only by myself, but by every scout I have spoken to this season. Flores has the hands, reactions, and arm to play at least an average third base, if not a tick above. To assume less would be underestimating his abilities.
Speed: Still well below average, Flores has cut his home-to-first times by two-tenths of a second from last season. I have clocked multiple 4.6 second times to first and believe his times will stabilize in the 4.6 range. Flores will never be a base stealing threat, but he is legging out more doubles than last season which is a huge plus for his overall value.
At this point, I have seen upwards of 300 Wilmer Flores plate appearances and continue to be impressed by his offensive abilities and unheralded defensive prowess. His overall stat line is tremendous when considering his age and the level of competition and he saves his best at bats for highly ranked prospects. This season alone, I have witnessed him take excellent swings off of Braves prospect Arodys Vizcaino, Astros prospect Tanner Bushue, Rockies prospect Tyler Matzek and others. The Mets organization has done the right thing by slowing down his time table and forcing him to dominate for a period of time prior to a potential promotion. This new philosophy will do wonders for his development and make him a much stronger player long term.
