Really should Andres Gimenez Continue on Receiving Starts off?

Brad Penner/United states of america Today

A person of the number of brights places in the Mets 5-8 start off to the 2020 season is the surprising participate in of 21-yr-old Andres Gimenez.

The initial shock was Gimenez generating the Opening Day roster, a shift that undoubtedly would not have transpired with out a 30-gentleman roster to get started the shortened season. Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen pointed out velocity and defensive skill when asked why Gimenez was on the roster, the type of participant you are more apt to have when you have an extended pool.

Gimenez has shown the pace (two stolen bases) and the defense (he’s performed four online games every at shortstop, second base, and 3rd foundation) although participating in in 12 of the Mets first 13 game titles.

On major of that, the rookie has held his have at the plate, hitting .320/.346/.400, 118 OPS+ with only two strikeouts in 25 plate appearances. The still left-handed hitter has held his own versus lefty pitching (of program, we are chatting about incredibly compact samples here), heading 3-for-10.

.@andresgimenez has produced an impression in his 1st week in the majors. Check out some of his very best highlights in excess of the previous week.

👀👉 https://t.co/PURoYXcAW9 pic.twitter.com/srzluRKE0b

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 6, 2020

Coming into the year, Gimenez had seen strike prospect standing fall a minor nationally. For illustration, he went from being the No. 38 total prospect pre-2019 in baseball acoording to Baseball Prospectus to No. 90 all round in their pre-2020 record. Section of that drop in rankings – and fall from Mets leading prospect to No. 2 or No.3 based on the publication – was his offensive struggles in 2019, he hit .250/.309/.387 in the standard season for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Even so, I would argue (and did in at least 1 report this offseason) that those people quantities weren’t as bad as they seemed. First off, people numbers gave him a 105 wRC+ in the Eastern League, meaning he was above average offensively whilst playing outstanding protection and was four decades youthful than the league typical age. Also, as I have pointed out a couple of times, Gimenez was battling a nagging damage early in the period and was performing on a swing adjustment.

When Gimenez was 100% healthier and acquainted with the alterations in his swing, he tore up the Arizona Drop League. He led the league with his .371 regular and .999 OPS in 18 game titles. For some reference, huge-time prospects like Royce Lewis, Julio Rodriguez, Seth Beer, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh all performed in the AFL previous yr.

Back again to Gimenez proper now and what the Mets are heading to do heading forward. Beginning shortstop Amed Rosario has skipped the previous two video games with tighness in his remaining quad. We don’t know the increase of the harm, but Rosario has not been placed on the injured checklist indicating he may well be in a position to participate in on Friday subsequent the off day.

In advance of the harm for Rosario, he was having difficulties at the plate to the tune of a .244/.244/.366 slash line. He has still to stroll in 41 plate appearances about 10 game titles. The 24-yr-outdated is coming off a sound 2019 although, in which he hit .287/.323/.427 and posted a 2.7 fWAR.

Hold in mind that we are chatting about definitely seriously small sample dimensions so much this year and both of those of these players are nonetheless youthful, but the query stays how substantially do the Mets engage in Gimenez going forward? And wherever do they perform him?

Gimenez has revealed that he can play 3rd and 2nd foundation, regardless of shortstop staying his organic household. The superior news for Gimenez is that Robinson Cano is presently on the hurt checklist with groin tightness. Cano expects to be back on Aug. 14 when qualified, but that nonetheless perhaps provides Gimenez a week at second foundation to clearly show what he’s acquired. Jeff McNeil is also dealing with a ideal intercostal strain that’s stored him out of the final two games.

In the small-expression, it appears to be like like their could be opportunities for each Rosario and Gimenez to be in the lineup. Let’s say however that Gimenez is continue to taking part in properly, Rosario is not hitting, and Cano will come off the IL, what do the Mets do?

Then commencing to chat long-phrase – earlier to talk about this, but I know it’s entered some Mets followers brains – do the Mets once more investigate going Rosario to center subject if Gimenez displays he’s a major league starter at shortstop?

Add into the mix that J.D. Davis has appeared a great deal improved at third foundation than remaining subject this 12 months. Davis, McNeil, and Gimenez have all proven versatility, luckily for 1st-time manager Luis Rojas.

Gimenez participating in perfectly adequate proper now to have us pondering these issues is absolutely a very good factor and hopefully which is a craze that continues.