Wilmer Reyes was ranked by MMN as the New York Mets 28th ranked prospect. Reyes appeal comes from all aspects of the game, his compact swing generates plenty of pop, his personal resiliency coming back from a knee injury, and his defensive versatility.
Baseball America slots Reyes as the Mets 32nd best prospect, citing the same praise.
“The breakout star of the Mets’ 2020 instructional league, Reyes contended with a knee injury that kept him out most of 2021 before he returned to play in the Arizona Fall League. He has some feel to hit and the versatility to play all over the infield.”
That versatility all over the infield continues to be on display through spring training, where Reyes has mostly patrolled shortstop as he did for 22 innings late in 2021. Reyes has logged 552 innings at shortstop in his minor league tenure, with a pristine career .936 fielding percentage.
Worth noting, Reyes has logged over 185 innings at five different defensive positions with his lowest fielding percentage being .895 across 254 innings as a third baseman. To see Reyes briefly slip, but recover quickly enough to throw out the runner comes as no surprise with his established brand as a defensive asset.
Nice job by #Mets prospect Wilmer Reyes to find his footing and make the strong throw to get the out at first.
Good to see Reyes healthy after essentially missing two years. pic.twitter.com/6rUySKjIM5
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) March 31, 2022
Reyes is an intriguing prospect, he’s not exactly young and his age alone could push him quickly above Brooklyn where he’s set to start 2022. Reyes promotions won’t be awarded for age alone, he’s proven to have the promise of a real asset for any team with an ability to play nearly any defensive position at a high level and plenty of offensive prowess to boot.
For 2022, Reyes contribution to the major league success of the Mets could very well be as a trade piece for the summer deadline. It’s not that Reyes is a bad fit for this organization by any means, but middle and corner infielders with promising gloves might one of the stronger suites for a deepening farm. Should teams listen to offers for playoff push additions, and the Mets prove reluctant to pluck from top tier talents, assets like Reyes could very well be moveable while maintaining the organizations prospect core.
