Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Gilberto Jimenez
It wasn't long ago that Gilberto Jimenez was a consensus top-five prospect in the Boston Red Sox system. Now he's not even ranked in their top 30. A lot of people seem to have given up on him.
Here's the thing, though, Jimenez is still only 22. There's plenty of time for things to turn back around.
Jimenez hit over .300 in each of the first three seasons of his career. He attempted to add power with some new muscle, but that didn't work out well.
In 2022, Jimenez did hit a new career-high in home runs. It was hardly worth the dip in other numbers, though.
Jimenez slashed .268/.306/.366 in High-A last season. So while his five home runs were a career-high, he also posted the lowest slugging percentage of his career. Meanwhile, the .306 OBP would've tied for the lowest batting average of his career to that point.
The strikeouts were also up, this being the first time Jimenez hit triple-digits in the category (100 exactly). So what were the positives?
Jimenez did steal 20 bases for the first time in his career. He has elite speed, but his base running has holes. If he can improve his jumps and reads, this is one area he could excel in.
Jimenez is a switch-hitter that can make contact and use his speed to cause issues on the base paths. He's not an elite defender, but his speed helps there too. Add in a surprisingly great arm to give him an extra plus-level tool.
Gilberto Jimenez is a player to watch this year for one reason. It's not the speed or potential added power. Jimenez is a player to watch because this is a make-or-break year for him. The Boston Red Sox have so much talent in their minor league system. Jimenez has fallen down the ranks because of that. A rough 2023 season could spell the end for him in the organization. But if he gets back on track, we could see his stock rise again.