Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2018: 10, Luis Guillorme

10. Luis Guillorme, 2B/SS

Height: 5’9”, Weight: 200 lbs.

DOB: 9/27/94 (23)

Acquired: 10th round, 2013 Draft (Coral Springs Charter High School, Florida)

Bats/Throws: L/R

2017: Binghamton (Double-A): 128 G, 558 PA, .283/.376/.331, 20 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4/7 SB, 72 BB, 55 K

Born in Venezuela, the Guillorme family moved to Florida when Luis was a teenager. He enrolled in Coral Springs Charter High School in Coral Springs, and became known among the scouts in southern Florida as a human highlight reel. The Mets selected Guillorme in the 10th round of the 2013 Draft, and the shortstop forwent his JuCo commitment to State College of Florida and signed with the Mets instead for $200,000, a little over slot for the 10th round. The infielder soldiered along in his first few years in the system, and broke out in a big way in 2015 with the Savannah Sand Gnats, hitting .318/.391/.354, stealing 18 bases for good measure, and was named and was named South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player. Promoted to the St. Lucie Mets in 2016, he had a respectable but not-as-impressive season, hitting .263/.332/.315. Still, thanks to his glove, he was worth penciling into the line-up every night, and he earned a promotion to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2017. Manager Luis Rojas got the 22-year-old into 128 games, and the shortstop rewarded his manager by hitting .283/.376/.331.

As a hitter, Guillorme would be more at home during the Dead Ball Era than today, as his general approach at the plate is to slash balls away, down the left field line or past the infielders on the left side of the diamond. Though bunting is a strategy of similar hitters, he is a below-average runner, making it hard for him to leg out bunts. While he has put on some muscle in the past year or two, Guillorme has failed to produce much power at the plate, and likely never will- though, in batting practice, the infielder does show the ability to send balls over the fence. By far, it is an atypical approach in today’s day and age, but he’s made it work at virtually every level he’s played at thanks to his excellent barrel control and his good eye at the plate.

On the other side of the ball, there are very few defenders that are as impressive as Luis Guillorme. He has almost everything you look for in a middle infielder, possessing a quick first step, soft hands, smooth actions, and instincts that almost border on supernatural. His arm and range are only average-to-above-average, but thanks to his other defensive attributes and baseball intangibles, everything plays up a grade higher.

Lukas Vlahos says:

Guillorme might have the best hands in the minors according to people who know such things. Even to the layman's eyes, he makes plays on the infield that seem like they shouldn't be possible. Guillorme also walked more than he struck out in Double-A last year, something that might make his zero-power swing palatable as a major league regular. Even if his net-value is never huge, Guillorme will be a very fun player to watch who should hopefully crack the majors in 2018.

Steve Sypa says:

He’s a fun player to watch, maybe one of the most exciting guys in the system. That being said- and I hope Mr. Guillorme doesn’t get angry, since he’s one of the best baseball dads around- if the Mets had a better system, Luis Guillorme wouldn’t be a top 10 prospect. The landscape of baseball has changes as compared to the mid-90s, so we aren’t going to be able to see Guillorme dazzle over the bulk of the season like Rey Ordonez, but even in small doses, Luis Guillorme’s defense can be a game changer, especially in tight and tense situations. To me, that we even talk about Guillorme’s defense in the same breath as Ordonez is saying something, because the Cuban remains the best defensive shortstop I have ever seen.