Player Data: Age: 30 (5/2/1991), B/T: S/R

Primary Stats: 142 G, 505 PA, 454 AB, .249 BA, .322 OBP, .416 SLG, .738 OPS, 113 H, 18 HR, 42 RBI, 46 BB, 132 SO

Advanced Stats: 102 OPS+, 105 wRC+, 26.1% K%, 9.1% BB%, .313 BABIP, .307 xwOBA, 2.1 fWAR, 1.7 bWAR

2021 Salary: $3.5 million

Grade: B+

2021 Review

Jonathan Villar‘s 2021 season can best be summed up in two words: exceeding expectations.

Despite being just two years removed from a season with 24 home runs with the Orioles, Villar didn’t turn many heads when he signed a one-year deal with the Mets in February. He seemed like a decent utility player that would be a formidable fill-in option for the regular group of infielders. And despite 2020 being a tough year to gauge a player’s true ability because of the pandemic-shortened season, the numbers were hard to ignore for Villar in his 22-game stint in Toronto. He hit below the Mendoza line, and even worse, registered a mere .203 slugging percentage. In 79 plate appearances, Villar managed to record just a double as his lone extra-base hit of the entire season.

So when Villar inked with New York on a one-year deal last winter, even the biggest optimists would have had a difficult time foreseeing the impact that he’d go on to produce in Queens over 142 games. In a season full of injuries for much of the regulars in the lineup, Villar became a routine starter on his own, primarily playing third base. At the plate, he belted 18 home runs, third-most for a single season in his career. (It was also third-most on the Mets this year.) During May, when the Mets seemed to lose a new member of their lineup to the injured list each day, Villar stepped up big time, hitting five long balls into the seats, including on back-to-back days in Atlanta mid-month.

As good as Villar was in 2021, he would have been among the MVP favorites had he been able to face the Nationals each game. His best offensive performances of the season all came against Washington. On August 12, Villar went 3-for-3, including a two-home run run in the sixth inning that extended the Mets lead to 4-1. About two weeks later, again at home against the Nats, Villar ended up just a double shy of the cycle. Just a handful of days later in D.C., Villar recorded his only four-hit game of the year, which was part of a Mets extra-innings victory.

Defensively, Villar’s versatility proved to be much-needed when the injuries piled up. While he played the majority of his innings at the hot corner, Villar played over 20 games at shortstop as well, which proved to be invaluable when Francisco Lindor was out of the lineup.

One of the more glaring downsides to Villar’s otherwise productive year was the rate at which he struck out. Finding himself with a “K” in the scorecard over 25% of the time was not ideal, although he was far from the only Met with that issue in 2021.

2022 Outlook

Villar is a free agent this winter, and because of the current lockout, he obviously cannot sign with a new major league organization until sometime later this winter.

While he won’t find himself as a penciled in starter for 2022 if he were to return to the Mets, Villar would make an ideal bench player, especially because of ability to play at multiple positions across the diamond. But if he wants to capitalize off his strong 2021, Villar can find a starting job elsewhere and would be smart to take such an offer if presented with the opportunity. If JV decides he wants to run it back in New York, the Mets would find themselves with an solid “second option” should any of their regular infielders make their way to the IL.