Wilmer Flores, Infield, San Francisco Giants

Date of Birth: 8/6/1991
Birthplace: Valencia, Venezuela

Wilmer Flores, infielder for the San Francisco Giants, signed with the New York Mets in 2007 when he was just 16 years old. He started playing in the Mets' minor league system a year later. He first joined the Mets in 2013, playing in 27 games with them that season.

In 2014, Flores split his time between the minor leagues and the Mets. He played in 78 games with the Mets and he batted .251 with 65 hits, 13 doubles, 1 triple, and 6 home runs. Defensively, he played 19 games at second base, 1 game at third base, and 51 games at shortstop. He had a special day on June 2, 2014, when he hit his first grand slam and drove in 6 RBIs.

Flores became a fan favorite on July 29, 2015, after his emotional reaction on the field when he heard rumors that he had been traded. The rumors turned out to be wrong and in his next game, Flores hit a walk-off home run to cheering fans. He finished the season with 127 hits, 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 59 RBIs, and a .263 batting average in 137 games. As a shortstop, he made 267 assists, 62 double plays, 119 putouts, and 14 errors in 103 games. He didn't fare so well in postseason play, batting just .195 with 8 hits, including 2 doubles and a triple, and a stolen base in 41 at-bats in 13 games.

In 2016, Flores batted .267 in 103 games. He finished the season with 82 hits, 14 doubles, 16 home runs, and 49 RBIs. Defensively, he played 27 games at first base, 18 games at second base, 51 games at third base, and 8 games at shortstop.

Flores finished the 2017 season with 91 hits, 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 52 RBIs, 54 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a .271 batting average in 110 games. Defensively, he played 29 games at first base, 12 games at second base, and 55 games at third base.

In 2018, Flores had a .267 batting average in 126 games with the Mets. He finished the season with 103 hits, 25 doubles, 11 home runs, and 51 RBIs. Defensively, as the Mets' first baseman in 83 games, he made 32 assists, 49 double plays, 576 putouts, and 3 errors.

Flores became a free agent on November 30, 2018. He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on January 21, 2019. He spent time on the DL in 2019 with a foot contusion. He finished the season with 84 hits, 18 doubles, 37 RBIs, 31 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a .317 batting average in 89 games. Defensively, as a second baseman in 64 games, he made 118 assists, 26 double plays, 77 putouts, and 6 errors.

Flores became a free agent on October 31, 2019. He signed with the Giants on February 12, 2020. He played in 55 games in 2020, and he finished the season with 53 hits, 11 doubles, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs, 36 strikeouts to 13 walks, and a .268 batting average. Defensively, he played 14 games at first base, 14 games at second base, and 3 games at third base. He was the DH in 22 games.

Flores spent time on the IL in 2021 with a hamstring strain. He finished the season with 102 hits, 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 53 RBIs, 56 strikeouts to 41 walks, and a .262 batting average in 139 games. In the postseason, he had 1 hit in 12 at-bats in 4 games.

Career batting statistics for Flores through 2021 include:

• 864 games played
• 727 hits
• 141 doubles
• 107 home runs
• 375 RBIs
• 384 strikeouts to 174 walks
• .267 batting average

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Wilmer Flores
ESPN - Wilmer Flores