Leonardo Jimenez

Position: INF
Level: Extended Spring Training
Affiliate: XST Blue Jays
League: Florida State League
Born: 05/17/2001 (Age: 22)
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 160
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent 7/2/17 (TOR)

Prospect Spotlight

Signed from Panama, Jimenez put himself on the map with his performances on the international tournament circuit as an amateur. He inked an $825K bonus with Toronto in 2017. Known for his polish and well-rounded game, Jimenez made his pro debut last summer in the GCL and held his own as a 17-year-old. He turned 18 roughly a week before I saw him in May on the backfields of Florida Extended Spring Training.

A lean, wiry 5-foot-11, Jimenez is athletic but still needs to get significantly stronger. How much mass he’s able to add will likely have bearing on his long-term offensive upside and overall value. He has natural rhythm at the plate and shows bat-to-ball ability, though there isn’t much behind his contact right now. Jimenez won’t ever be a huge power threat, but if he develops enough ability to hit for average and reach base, his glovework in the middle infield could make him a useful big leaguer. His best tools are on defense, with slick actions and good overall instincts. I didn’t see Jimenez challenged at SS or 2B in a short look, though it’s easy to envision this type of frame staying at a center-diamond position down the road.

In the best-case scenario, Jimenez develops enough at the plate to wind up a potential regular or solid role player. It’s a deep projection hit tool that requires some dreaming, though his youth (he would be young for the 2019 high school draft class), contact skills, and refined approach give reason to project aggressively. We’re aiming high by putting him among the FV 45 prospects in Extended Spring, noting that he’ll settle in as a FV 35+/40 type of glove-only bench type if there aren’t many offensive developments by the time he fully grows into his body.