| |
Physical Description: Was
extremely loose and athletic earlier in his career, but has lost
some of that athleticism as he has physically matured. Is still
an above-average athlete. Lower half is filled out. Has
transformed his body since signing; once on the skinny side, is
now thick and physical.
Hit:
High-variance hit tool. Quick hands, but bat drags some. Solid
contact skills. Very flat swing. A natural right-handed hitter,
started hitting from the left side in the fall of 2017 to take
better advantage of his speed. Has made strides with his
left-handed swing, but it is still a work in progress. Starts
open in a crouch and utilizes a toe tap timing device. Does a
much better job now of incorporating his lower half and staying
in the box and on the ball longer than he did earlier in his
career, but struggles with tendency to slap at the ball to put
it in play rather than drive it with authority. Has worked
during spring training and fall camps on starting with a wider
base and using a more pronounced weight transfer to better
incorporate his lower half, but has not successfully implemented
these changes during the season. Willing to drop a bunt down for
a base hit if the defense will not guard against that.
Right-handed swing looks much more natural and is strikingly
different visually from his left-handed swing. Starts squarer
and more vertical, and swing is more fluid. Barrel stays in the
zone longer and can generate more hard contact, or at least did
earlier in his career. Showed much stronger ability to drive the
ball from that side earlier in his career, but hit tool has
backed up on that side as well post-pandemic and he has posted
sub-.550 OPSes against left-handers in 2021 and 2022. Approach
and pitch recognition are raw, and strikeout rates have
increased as he has moved up the system. Potential below-average
hit tool from both sides.
Power: Will
show average raw power from the right side and below-average raw
from the left. Well-below-average in-game power potential. Need
to see raw power translate in-game, as his swing is still more
designed for hard line drives in the gaps than for
over-the-fence power. Generates concerningly low exit
velocities.
Run: Plus-plus speed. As he
has filled out, speed has decreased a grade. Will run
3.95-4.05-second times to first from the left side and 4.12-4.15
seconds from the right side. In the past, speed graded an 80,
timed at under 3.9 seconds to first from the left side. Even
with a slight speed downgrade, he will put a lot of pressure on
opposing defenses. Always looks to take the extra base. Very
aggressive. Baserunning instincts, reads, and jumps need
improvement. Stolen base numbers are not representative of his
true speed. |
|
Field: Plus range and speed make up for lack of
instincts. Jumps need work. Needs to improve tracking the ball.
Has played more in the outfield corners in recent seasons in
deference to teammates who are superior outfield defenders.
Overall, has the potential to develop into at least an average
defender in the outfield if he improves his instincts.
Arm: Above-average arm strength. Throws show
carry and plenty of zip when he lets it fly. Accuracy can be a
tad inconsistent. Plenty of arm for any outfield position.
Career Notes: Slipped through the cracks
and signed at 17 for a small bonus after impressing during a
tryout at the Red Sox Dominican Academy. Started switch-hitting
during 2017 Dominican Instructional League to better utilize his
elite speed. Led the New York-Penn League and Red Sox minor
leaguers in batting average in 2019. Participated in the Fall
Instructional League in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Was invited to
major league spring training in 2021 in order to allow him to
get to camp sooner when minor league spring training was delayed
by a month due to COVID-19 protocols. Participated in the 2021
Fall Performance Program. Participated in 2022 Winter Warm-Up.
Prospect status fell significantly in 2022 after continued
struggles at the plate and in the field.
Summation: Potential mid-minors depth option. Ceiling
of an organizational outfielder. Showed more potential when he
was younger, but development has stagnated. At one point, you
could dream on him becoming an everyday center fielder who adds
value at the plate and in the field, but now does not even look
like a future major leaguer. Needs work to refine his defensive
game, but has the athletic ability and arm strength you look for
in a center fielder.
Links
Spring Training Video of Gilberto Jimenez 1 (3.22.19)
Spring Training Video of Gilberto Jimenez 2 (3.22.19)
Scouting Report Update (4.14.2020)
State of the System:
Outfielders (5.13.20)
Scout Chatter (12.2.2020)
Scouting Report Update (3.10.2021)
Scouting Scratch: Red Sox 2021 Rule 5 Preview (11.18.2021)
Notes from the Field (5.15.2022) |
|
