San Francisco Giants v Cincinnati Reds | Jeff Dean/GettyImages
No player on the SF Giants saw more of a drop off in production from 2023 to 2024 than veteran infielder Wilmer Flores. However, the 33-year-old is proving he is far from washed up with his red-hot start to the 2025 season.
Flores carried the Giants’ offense in 2023, slashing .284/.355/.509 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 126 games. It was not reasonable to think that Flores could replicate that banner year in 2024, but he did not even come close.
In 2024 the former Willie Mac Award winner slashed a disappointing .206/.277/.318 with four homers and 26 RBI in 71 games. However, he was plagued by a knee injury which shut him down for the season in August. At the time, it seemed liked Flores may have played his final game in San Francisco but he is now back to being a key part of the offense.
SF Giants veteran infielder Wilmer Flores on a tear at the plate
Thus far in 2025, Flores has been incredible. He hit a clutch go-ahead three-run homer on Opening Day in Cincinnati to help get the Giants a win and followed that up with a solo homer in the second game of the season.
Last night against the Houston Astros, Flores recorded two hits including another three-run homer as well as an RBI single. In total, Flores has three homers and eight runs batted in on the season.
It is obviously still very early, but it is a great sign to see the popular veteran looking like his usual self. It stood to reason that a healthy Flores would look much better than the version of him we saw last season, but many probably would not have predicted the fact that he would be such a key offensive contributor early on.
The Giants will need him to keep it up because their other primary designated hitter option entering the year, Jerar Encarnacion, is going to be out at least two months after breaking his left ring finger.
We will have to see if Flores can sustain his early success at the plate. If he can, it would be a remarkable comeback story after he struggled so mightily last season. When he is hot he can carry an offense, so let’s hope we keep seeing Wilmer reprise his 2023 self the rest of this season.
