1. Eloy Jimenez, OF
Birthdate: 11/27/96 (19 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: low A
Stats in 2016: .329/.369/.532, 14 HR, 8 SB
Coming into 2016, many knew who Jimenez was at a meta level, but little was known about just how good he truly was. Heck, even within his own organization, he was overshadowed by his fellow 2013 signee, Gleyber Torres.
Jimenez quickly got everyone’s attention and changed that lack of knowledge in a hurry. One of three players with a legit claim on the MVP of the Future Stars game, Jimenez actually put on a great display of what some may consider his “worst” tool, his defense, when he made a ridiculous running catch.
Jimenez is built like a guy that you would assume would have power, but he hadn’t really shown through until this season. He produced 40 doubles and three triples to go with his 14 home runs. While he may have had a rough BB/K ratio, his strikeout rate was not bad at all, especially for a power hitter.
Jimenez is a guy who should be a prototype right fielder with a plus arm and plus power. His contact skills have definitely bumped up to a borderline plus level as well, giving him a legit chance to be the rare hitter who hits for average and power.
The 6’4″, 210+ pound beast of a hitter should end up in the top 25 of most prospect lists this offseason.
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