Wilmer Flores facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wilmer Flores |
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Flores with the New York Mets in 2016
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| San Francisco Giants – No. 41 | |||
| Infielder | |||
| Born: August 6, 1991 Valencia, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| August 6, 2013, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics (through July 7, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .259 | ||
| Hits | 1,079 | ||
| Home runs | 164 | ||
| Runs batted in | 587 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Wilmer Alejandro Flores Garcia (born August 6, 1991), also known as "Catire", is a professional baseball player from Venezuela. He plays as an infielder for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball (MLB). Flores signed with the New York Mets on his 16th birthday in 2007. He made his first appearance in the major leagues with the Mets in 2013. Before joining the Giants, he also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Wilmer Flores was born on August 6, 1991, in Valencia, Venezuela. His parents are Soledy García and Wilmer Flores. He grew up in Valencia and started playing baseball at age 6. He taught himself how to swing a bat. When he was 13, an agent noticed his powerful hitting. The agent sent him to the Agua Linda Academy. There, he received his first formal baseball training.
Wilmer has two brothers, both named Wilmer Flores. One of his brothers is a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers organization.
Wilmer Flores's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Wilmer Flores signed with the New York Mets on August 6, 2007. This was his 16th birthday. He received a $750,000 signing bonus. With this money, he bought his mother a new car. Baseball experts often listed him as one of the top 100 young players. He was ranked #47 in 2009, #88 in 2010, and #59 in 2011 by Baseball America.
Flores played second base for the World team in the 2009 All-Star Futures Game. He also earned several awards in the minor leagues. These included the Baseball America Rookie All-Star Team in 2008. He was also on the MiLB.com Organization All-Star Team in 2010.
In 2011, the Mets moved Flores from shortstop to third base. He played for the St. Lucie Mets. In 2012, he was chosen for the FSL All-Star Game. He played very well, getting three hits and three runs batted in. He was named the Most Valuable Player. He also played in the All-Star Futures Game again. Later in 2012, the Mets moved him to the Binghamton Mets. He finished that season batting .311 with eight home runs.
Flores started the 2013 season with the Las Vegas 51s. This is a Triple-A team, just one step below the major leagues. He batted .321 with 15 home runs and 86 RBI in 107 games.
Playing for the New York Mets (2013–2018)
First Major League Games (2013)
Flores was called up to the Mets' major league team on August 6, 2013. This was his 22nd birthday! He made his first MLB appearance that day. It was against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. He did not get a hit in that game. The next day, August 7, he got his first major league hit. It was a single off Rockies pitcher Jhoulys Chacín. Later in that game, he hit a double that brought in three runs. This was his first major league RBI.
On August 11, he hit his first career home run. It was a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished the 2013 season playing in 27 games. He had a batting average of .211.
More Time in the Majors (2014)
Flores started 2014 in Triple-A but was called up to the Mets in April. He was sent back down and recalled several times that season. On June 2, Flores had a great game. He brought in six runs, which was a career high for him. He also hit his first career grand slam against the Philadelphia Phillies. A grand slam is a home run with the bases loaded. He finished the 2014 season playing in 78 games. He batted .251 with six home runs and 29 RBI.
Becoming a Fan Favorite (2015)
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Flores made the Mets' team for Opening Day in 2015. He had some struggles early in the season. On May 16, he hit his second career grand slam. This made him the first National League position player to hit a grand slam while batting ninth. On May 26, he hit his first career walk-off hit. A walk-off hit wins the game in the final inning.
On July 29, 2015, there were rumors during a game that Flores had been traded. He was very emotional on the field. However, the trade did not happen. The Mets decided not to go through with it. Two days later, on July 31, Flores hit his first career walk-off home run. This was a solo home run in the 12th inning. It won an important game for the Mets. After this, Flores became a huge fan favorite. He received standing ovations from fans.
He finished the 2015 season playing in 137 games. He batted .263 with 16 home runs and 59 RBI. In the playoffs, he played shortstop after another player was injured. He played in the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals.
Injuries and Strong Hitting (2016–2018)
In 2016, Flores dealt with some injuries. On May 12, he went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. On July 3, he had an amazing game against the Chicago Cubs. He got six hits in one game! This was only the second time a Mets player had done this. Later that season, he injured his wrist and missed the rest of the year. He had surgery to fix his wrist. He finished 2016 batting .267.
In 2017, Flores had a knee infection that required hospital treatment. He also broke his nose in September. Despite these issues, he batted .271 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI.
In 2018, Flores continued to hit important walk-off home runs. On April 15, he hit a walk-off home run against the Brewers. This was his third career walk-off home run. On July 9, he hit a pinch-hit walk-off home run. This broke the Mets' team record for most walk-off RBI. He batted .267 in 2018. After the season, the Mets decided not to keep him, and he became a free agent.
Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2019)
On January 21, 2019, Flores signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played in 89 games for them that year. He batted .317 with 9 home runs and 37 RBI. On September 9, Flores hit a home run against his former teammate Jacob deGrom. This happened when he returned to Citi Field. Fans cheered for him, and the Mets showed a video welcoming him back.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants (2020–Present)
Joining the Giants (2020)
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On February 4, 2020, Flores signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Flores led the Giants in home runs with 12 that year. He also finished second in RBI (32) and runs (30). He batted .268 and played at first, second, and third base.
Continued Success (2021–2023)
In the 2021 season, Flores batted .262. He hit a career-high 18 home runs and had 53 RBI. He played many different positions, including third base, first base, and second base.
In 2022, Flores batted .229 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI. He played at second base, first base, third base, and as a designated hitter. On September 12, he signed a new contract extension with the Giants. On September 30, he received the Willie Mac Award. This award is voted on by his teammates, coaches, and fans. It honors players for their performance on and off the field.
Flores had a great year in 2023. He played in 126 games for the Giants. He batted .284 and hit a career-high 23 home runs. He also had 60 RBI.
Recent Seasons (2024–2025)
In 2024, Flores played in 71 games. He batted .206 with four home runs and 26 RBI. On August 6, 2024, it was announced that Flores would miss the rest of the season. He had a procedure for knee pain. On November 2, 2024, Flores chose to stay with the Giants for another year.
On May 16, 2025, Flores had an amazing game. He hit three home runs in one game for the first time in his career. This included his seventh career grand slam. He also brought in a career-high eight runs in that game against the Athletics. Flores became the first Giants player since Barry Bonds in 2001 to have at least 40 RBI through the team's first 45 games.
See also
In Spanish: Wilmer Flores para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
