2025 stats: 125 G (463 PA), .241 /.307/ .379, 16 HR, 71 RBI, .164 ISO, 7.3 K%, 19 BB%, 95 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR
I dont know Wilmer Flores. Have never met him, will never meet him, but hes my friend. Hes our friend. And I say that as someone who prefers to leave celebrities alone and has managed to avoid parasocial relationships. And yet, who has been there for the Giants more than Wilmer Flores has the past several years? The 2022 Willie Mac Award winner and the best hitter on the 2023 team (not damning with faint praise) took his last swing for the San Francisco Giants in 2025 and so any meaningful review starts there.
He was the explanation for why there was so much excitement surrounding the team through the seasons first couple of months. Sure, Buster Posey had fans anticipating a total cultural shift that would bring the Giants back to the 2010s heading into the season, and the Spring Training record only fueled that enthusiasm, but it was Wilmers bat that ignited the oil drum of hope that had been filled.
How could anyone forget his 3-run home run on Opening Day?
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Or his 3-homer, 8 RBI game against the Athletics a month and a half into the season?
That game made him the first Giants player with 40+ RBI in the teams first 45 games since Barry Bonds in 2001 and tied him for the league lead in RBI with literally Aaron Judge.
Yes, it was literally all downhill from there
First 44 games: 170 PA, .266/.318/.468 (.786 OPS), 2 2B, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 5 GIDP, .278 BAbip, +1.092 WPAFinal 81 games: 293 PA, .226/.300/.326 (.626 OPS), 8 2B, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 9 GIDP, .261 BAbip, -0.993 WPA
HOWEVER! The Giants looked alive. They looked like they could contend through the summer with Wilmer receding into the background as a crafty veteran lurking, waiting for an opportunity to deliver key hits down the stretch. He won or, at least, was a big reason why the Giants won at least six games in the first 45 games of the season. Coming off of knee surgery, it felt like he was going to hit closer to his incredible 2023 campaign (.284/.355/.509) than his injured 2024 (.206/.277/.318).
Alas! Baseball happened. A 33-year old with declining mobility did not make a full recovery following surgery in the sense that he was refreshed into a body of a younger man. No, he continued to age into a limited power corner guy, the type of player the league is able to vanquish much sooner on the aging curve in the 21st century.
His Giants career was defined by famous swings one infamous swing, even but he carried so many labels. Leader, veteran, clutch, professional hitter, good teammate. Maybe the clearest example of a glue guy as one might find in MLB today. Hes so well-liked around the league that it seems impossible to believe that he might not get even a Spring Training invite if he expressed interest in playing, but the last couple of seasons (those first 45 games withstanding) showed that the Giants have wrung out most of the good baseball juice left in him.
In his first 649 plate appearances with the San Francisco, Wilmer Flores slashed .264/.328/.470 with an 8.3% walk rate and 14.2% strikeout rate, good enough for a 115 wRC+. In his final 705 plate appearances, his .229/.296/.359 with a 7.7% walk rate and 17.2% strikeout rate was 14% worse than league average (86 wRC+). And, of course, he became more of a statue in the field as time went on, playing 1B/2B/3B in his first few seasons, and primarily 1B/DH over his final three.
But without Wilmer Floress bat, they dont trade for Rafael Devers. Without his aura or personality, Thairo Estrada probably doesnt have a nice 3-season run for the Giants. The Giants dont win the NL West in 2021 he hit .341/.386/.561 in 11 games against the Dodgers and added .672 in Win Probability to a critical matchup. So, Mike Tauchmans catch and Wilmers bat. Back in 2023, his first couple of months of performance (.699 OPS) had him hurdling towards a DFA, but then, from June 3rd until the end of the season, he went on an incredible heater: .308/.385/.551 (.936 OPS) in 314 plate appearances. Through August 30th, it was a .993 OPS with .599 slug. He mightve been the main reason why the Giants were sitting with 59% postseason odds on September 1st.
It was a season that gave us one last flash of a Good Giant being great. Thanks for the memories, Wilmer.