Why New York Mets Infielder Luis Guillorme Should Play Every Day
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The New York Mets may have lost another infielder who held the nickname "el mago," which means "the magician," in Javier Baez who spent 47 games in Queens a year ago before bolting in free agency — but they still have a true wizard on their roster in Luis Guillorme.
Guillorme, a super utility man, has seen his playing time increase as of late, and is fully taking advantage of the opportunity. The 27-year-old has recorded a hit in each of his last six starts, and is slashing .556/.556/.611 (10-for-18) during this span. Overall, Guillorme has produced a .338/.411/.446 triple slash with an .857 OPS in 27 games in 2022.
When Robinson Cano was designated for assignment on May 2, this opened the door for Guillorme to see additional playing time. Now, he is blossoming before our eyes.
"I think the difference with now and before is my swing's really consistent," Guillorme told SNY after the Mets' latest series win. "I'm able to repeat it now pretty much every at-bat"
Guillorme has the ability to play shortstop, second base and third base at an extremely high level. He has lightning quick hands and a slick glove, playing Gold Glove caliber defense at multiple positions in the infield. But Guillorme's defensive skills are far from a secret, and when the Mets took two out of three from the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field over the weekend, he was once again making an impact on the diamond.
On Sunday, in the bottom of the seventh inning with starting pitcher Taijuan Walker's pitch count rising, the Mets were holding onto a 2-0 lead with a runner on third base and two outs. That's when Rockies catcher Brian Serven ripped a hot shot to Guillorme at third, who snagged a one-hop liner, before popping up to throw the runner out at first via a spinning play.
"I've been in this situation my whole career coming off the bench," Guillorme told reporters on Sunday. "I've got a chance and I've done the best I can with it"
Over the past few seasons, Guillorme has solidified his standing as a key bench piece with the Mets. But if he continues to provide a significant spark on both offense and defense, it will be hard for manager Buck Showalter to keep him out of the lineup moving forward.
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