The New York Mets continued the strong start to their season with a sweep of the Phillies this weekend. Capped off by an epic comeback win on Sunday, the hero that evening was Nick Plummer, who launched a game-tying home run off Cory Knebel in the 9th inning to tie it before the Mets walked it off in the 10th.
For Plummer, his first career hit came at just the right time. For the Mets, he’s just the latest unlikely hero to carry the freight for a team dealing with a rash of injuries. It’s been a group effort from the Mets reserves, pushing them to a 33-17 record.
With a flurry of moves coming on a seemingly weekly basis, they’ve handed starts to David Peterson, Trevor Williams, and Thomas Szapucki. Watched as Trevor May went down and used Colin Holderman, Adonis Medina, Jake Reed, and Stephen Nogosek to fill in the gaps. But perhaps the greatest reserve the Mets have at the moment is the one they have employed for the last four years. Luis Guillorme.
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Should the Mets be starting Guillorme moving forward?
With Brandon Nimmo shelved dealing with wrist tightness and Jeff McNeil resting his legs, Guillorme has started in four of the last five games for the Mets. And he’s making a case for that trend to continue. Guillorme has always been an excellent defender at 2B and both positions on the left side of the infield. But his hitting has always come into question. After beginning the season hitless in his first 12 at-bats, Guillorme shaved his lumber-jack-like beard in true baseball superstitious fashion.
When the Mets do play tomorrow, some eagle-eyed fans may do a double take: infielder Luis Guillorme is completely clean-shaven for the first time since 2020. He decided to take a razor to his signature beard after yesterday's game.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 18, 2022
It’s unlikely that there’s any correlation between Guillorme’s facial hair styling and his performance at the plate. But using that date as the line of demarcation, Luis Guillorme has played like his hair- beard? Is on fire.
Since April 16th, Guillorme has 29 hits over 72 at-bats, good for a .403 average. Guillorme has a .483 on-base percentage in the month of May over 61 plate appearances, including 22 hits and seven walks.
Two more hits for Luis Guillorme so far tonight, he’s 26-for-59 over his last 22 games.
That’s a .441 average, folks.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) May 30, 2022
Taking the leadoff reigns over the weekend, Guillorme provided a spark at the top of the lineup with a three-hit effort on Saturday vs the Phillies. He added one on Sunday, three more against the Nationals on Memorial Day, and has been front and center during the Mets’ four-game-winning streak. And while his bat has been a pleasant surprise, Guillorme is still best known for his wizardry in the field.
WHAT A FLIP BY LUIS GUILLORME FOR THE FORCEOUT AT SECOND! pic.twitter.com/8ExyTo632H
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 30, 2022
THE LUIS GUILLORME MAGIC!!!!! pic.twitter.com/8hlJoCuPpt
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2022
The struggles of Eduardo Escobar have been well documented. The veteran free-agent addition has not yet found his footing in Flushing. Perhaps that is changing after his walk-off hit on Sunday. But, with the Mets looking to keep Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo healthy for the long-term, perhaps there is a way to find an everyday role for Luis Guillorme still. Rotating between 2nd and 3rd base while also getting the occasional spot start at shortstop to relieve Francisco Lindor could be a way of getting him into the lineup daily.
One thing is clear- he’s earned it. If not, perhaps a sponsorship with Gillette at the very least.