Ed Delany, MMO
For the most part, it’s safe to assume what the New York Mets infield is going to look like on Opening Day. We will, unfortunately, have Adrian Gonzalez at first, Asdrubal Cabrera at second, Amed Rosario at shortstop, and Todd Frazier at third.
But maybe there’s something to consider here in possibly giving Luis Guillorme some of those second base starts at some point this season. Guillorme is considered a top prospect for the Mets, number 10 overall. He’s still just 23 years old but has been lighting up Spring Training so far with a slash line of .303/.455/.424 along with a very nice OPS of .879.
If the Mets did decide to make some room for him on that Opening Day roster (maybe they can leave a few pitchers off that list. *cough* Montero, Robles *cough*), it would be quite the jump for Guillorme, similar to Michael Conforto‘s journey to the big leagues.
While his numbers in Double-A Binghamton were solid last season (.283/.376/.331), his slugging percentage is a bit lower than what he has shown us in Spring Training.
That OBP is beautiful, Guillorme certainly knows how to get himself on base. And with a Mets roster that already carries a few guys that can hit for power, it could be a nice change to have one or two in that lineup that can just consistently put themselves in a position to score.
Just to compare for a moment, Asdrubal Cabrera is having just an okay spring, posting a batting line of .273/.333/.455. It’s nothing to get excited about, but certainly is serviceable.
Regardless of Cabrera’s performance though, I think Guillorme has definitely earned himself a chance to show us what he can do at the major league level at some point this season.
Now, in all likelihood, Guillorme is not going to open the season with the team. If he improves his hitting and his defense remains at the same spectacular level it is currently at, there is absolutely no reason why he couldn’t play in the majors at some point this season.
At the very least he could suffice as a utility infielder. If Cabrera proves to not be an adequate everyday second baseman, maybe the Mets can give Guillorme an opportunity once he’s ready.
