51s’ Dilson Herrera waits patiently for job as Mets second baseman

Sitting on a bench at Cashman Field on a May morning thousands of miles away from the stadium he’ll eventually be calling home, Dilson Herrera laughed and then paused to consider the question posed to him.

After a short silence, he had an answer.

Yes, he finally said, he does consider himself to be a patient person.

That’s a good thing, because almost as much as anything else, this season is an exercise in patience for the 22-year-old second baseman.

Herrera’s future role with the New York Mets is seemingly more well-defined than anyone else’s on the 51s. Some day in the future — possibly later this season and very likely next year — Herrera will be patrolling second base at Citi Field.

But right now, he’s biding his time in Triple A, waiting for his everyday opportunity to come around.

“Second baseman of the future,” could be a big title to wear for some, but Las Vegas manager Wally Backman said Herrera hasn’t let it affect his play.

“(I) talked about it with Dilson in spring training,” Backman said. “He still is playing his game, so I think he knows his opportunity is going to come, and everybody wants it to come sooner rather than later, but he’s got to wait right now.”

Herrera has been up with the Mets twice briefly, debuting when he was 20, and should all go as planned for him, it’s not a stretch to think he’ll be back with them in a much larger capacity next year, taking over as the team’s starting second baseman for Neil Walker.

The Mets traded for Walker before the season, and he is scheduled hit free agency this offseason.

“With them getting Walker, it gives Dilson one more years to develop, and at his age, I’m going to say it’s not going to hurt him at all and probably make him better,” Backman said. “I think that was one of the big reasons they did what they did. Dilson’s our guy.

“He’s the guy of the future for the Mets to play second base. I believe that. That’s my own opinion, but I can’t see it any other way.”

With Mets third baseman David Wright hitting the disabled list for an extended period because of a herniated disk in his neck, the Mets could opt to shift Walker to third and call up Herrera. That’s not their first choice, though, and for now, Herrera will remain at Triple A.

“I feel excited because I’m learning here how to be better to play in the big leagues,” Herrera said.

Atop the 51s’ lineup, he’s a spark plug for the team. He entered Friday hitting .288 with 55 hits in 47 games.

He has some power — he’s tied for second on the team in home runs with eight — and speed. He’s a solid defender at second, and he runs the bases well, with six steals.

On top of all that, he’s also one of the more vocal members of the 51s, constantly bringing enthusiasm to the dugout and clubhouse.

“I think that’s one of the greatest aspects of his game,” teammate T.J. Rivera said. “He obviously is a great player, but he brings a lot of energy, always smiling no matter what. He’s always happy just to be alive, I feel like. Some guys, you can tell when they’re not playing well. When he’s not playing well, you never can tell because he’s still the same guy.”

He’s the same guy whether the team is winning or losing, too, and his attitude and play have earned him high praise from his manager.

It’s praise that ranges from “Everybody loves Dilson. Everybody. Everybody. Except maybe the opposing pitchers,” to Backman saying he’d love to have “nine of Dilly” in his lineup, to his repeated prediction that Herrera will be an All-Star second baseman in the majors.

Backman and Rivera also speak highly of Herrera’s maturity — born in 1994, he’s the youngest player on the 51s. It’s something that will serve him well whenever he next winds up with the Mets.

“He knows he has the ability to play the game, and his positivity and just his focus is pretty special for his age,” Rivera said.

For now, that focus is on improving and staying patient so that when he does return to the Mets, it’ll be for good.

“I want to be better. I want to be better every day. I want to keep learning to play,” Herrera said. “When they call me up, I’m going to be 100 percent ready.”

Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand