5. Gilberto Jimenez (Centerfielder)
Gilberto Jimenez played 59 games last year in the Red Sox system. That didn’t stop him from stealing the show though.
In his first year with Short-A Lowell, Jimenez went absolutely nuts. At just 19, Jimenez was a man amongst boys in Short-A. The switch-hitter slashed .359/.393/.470 with 11 doubles, three triples and three home runs.
Jimenez drove in 19 runs and scored 35 more. He also stole 14 bases and that’s what we’re going to talk about at the moment.
Not only is Jimenez great on the base paths, he’s fast. He’s really fast. I mean, he’s so fast he makes fast people look, not fast. (Shoutout to whoever gets that reference).
Jimenez’s speed is going to be a game changer. He’s a very good defender and the speed makes him elite in that category. At the same time, he’s very good on the base paths and the speed makes him elite in that category.
See where I’m going with this. Just like the guy that will be next on this list, Jimenez’s speed is his best skill. It’s not his only though. He’ll put up numbers at the plate as someone that can get on base at a very high clip.
The power likely won’t be anything spectacular ever. And his size (5’11”, 160 lbs) will make a lot of people underestimate him.
However, when he’s playing gold glove defense and steal 50 bags a year he’ll be a fan favorite.
At just 19 and having his highest level so far being Short-A, Jimenez is still a pretty long ways away from the Majors. He can change that next year though. There’s nothing left for him to do in Short-A so he’ll likely start in Full-A.
Don’t be surprised if Jimenez makes quick work of that (and maybe even Advanced-A). There’s a very real chance he ends next season in Double-A. At the same time, there’s a very real chance Gilberto Jimenez finds himself even higher on this list next year.
Not only could he be near the top for the Red Sox, he could be near the top in all of baseball.