My Take on Wilmer Flores

Here is my take in the 2013 Baseball Prospect Book on New York Mets prospect Wilmer Flores. I was getting doubtful about him entering 2012 but I am very impressed with the improvement he showed with the bat.

Wilmer Flores, 3B-2B, New York Mets
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-3 WT: 190 DOB: August 6, 1991
(The book will have stats going back 2-3 years)
2009: Grade B+; 2010: Grade B+; 2011: Grade B+; 2012: Grade B-

Mets fans have been hearing about Wilmer Flores since the days of Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, or so it seems anyway. Despite all the hype and attention he's received, he is still only 21 years old. Flores has always made contact well, but he's gradually improved his feel for the strike zone and began maturing into his power last year. Although scouts still wonder exactly how many home runs he'll hit, there's no question that he's made real progress. Flores moved off shortstop last year and performed adequately at both third base and second base. His arm works just fine at third and he doesn't make an excessive number of errors, but his range is mediocre. His bat profiles better at second base, but he probably lacks the requisite quickness to play there long-term. He doesn't run well enough to be an attractive outfield option, but will he hit enough to play first base? Obviously, there are still a lot of questions about Flores, but his stock with the bat has definitely rebounded. Grade B+.