Infielder Wilmer Flores last suited up for the Mets in 2018 before heading elsewhere in free agency. But, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since he’s donned the Orange and Blue. He’ll always be a beloved figure within Mets history. And when he has success, it’s hard not to smile.
That’s happening for the right-handed hitter with the Giants this year. San Francisco enters Tuesday’s games with a 65-60 record and a half-game lead over the Diamondbacks for the final National League Wild Card spot. Despite missing about a month and appearing in only 93 of the team’s 125 games, Flores is putting together some of the best offensive numbers of his career.
Across 327 plate appearances, Wilmer is hitting .304/.361/.541 with 17 home runs and 43 RBI. His 143 wRC+ and .901 OPS are both on track to be single-season career-high marks. Meanwhile, the 2.2 fWAR he’s accumulated is already a new personal best. It took him 151 games to set a new career-high in homers last season, with 19. Based on how he’s performed recently, it feels like he’ll surpass the 20-homer plateau at any moment.
Guess whoooo pic.twitter.com/bTDciKwMYS
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 20, 2023
Flores has gotten to these season-long numbers because he’s basically been on fire since the beginning of June. In his most recent 188 plate appearances (51 games), he’s slashing .359/.420/.635 with 11 of his homers and 27 of his RBI.
That susses out to a 184 wRC+, which is the fourth-highest mark among players with at least 150 plate appearances since June 1st. The only three better than Wilmer during that time? Some dudes named Shohei Ohtani (219), Corey Seager (198), and Mookie Betts (189). Not bad company to be in.
So, this is really just a quick Wilmer Flores appreciation post. If the Mets don’t shock everyone and sneak into the postseason, the Giants would be a good team to root for. After all, let’s not forget that J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto are also spending this season by the Bay.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on X: @mmusico8.
