Leo Jiménez is a 23-year-old who turns 24 in May a right-handed hitting middle infielder. He was added to the 40-man roster in November 2021 (protecting him from a Rule 5 draft that didn’t happen), so he’s on his last option year this year.
Last year, he was #5 on our Top 40 Prospect list. Matt wrote:
Jimenez has been a skills-over-pure-tools player since he signed and thus considered a “high floor” prospect given the defensive value and contact ability. Now on the cusp of the big leagues, the value of that floor increases his value even as the likelihood of regular like upside has melted away. We view Jimenez as a likely utility player who might play himself into a lower end regular if everything comes together, with injuries being the biggest risk factor. It’s not the sexiest profile, but the probability counts for a lot.
Last year, the Jays called him up on July 2nd. And he got some playing time, getting into 63 games. In 210 PA, he hit .229/.239/.358 with 4 home runs, 12 walks and 59 strikeouts for a 97 OPS+. He played short and second base.
He was reasonable defensively at both spots.
In Buffalo, he hit .271/.416/.431 in 57 games. He’s always taken more than his share of walks in the minors, but there isn’t a lot of power there.
With the addition of Andrés Giménez and Bo Bichette (hopefully) back and healthy, there isn’t much of a path for him to get an everyday job with the Jays. He’ll be one of about a dozen guys looking for a utility job.
With the team’s drive to get as many middle infielders as possible, Jiménez has a ton of competition to beat out for a chance at those limited utility-player at bats. I’d have to think Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez and Wil Wagner are in front of him in line for those at-bats. Davis Schneider is in the mix, too. And if the team adds a third base or first baseman, Ernie Clements would be in front of him, too.
Steamer figures he’ll get into 18 games with the Jays, hitting .235/.323/.359.