NEWSLETTER
Through his first 72 plate appearances of the season, Eloy Jimenez has handled the transition to the Midwest League pretty well. Still just 19 years old, Jimenez has opened the season with a .277/.319/.400 line that mirrors very closely his .284/.328/.418 line from last year in Eugene. Reproducing effectively the same numbers at a higher level is a positive sign for a low level prospect.
In the peripheral department, his early season walk rate is a comfortable 6.9% (up from 6.0% a year ago), and his strikeout rate is a tolerable 26.4% (up from 17.2%). Same size alerts apply to all these numbers, but even if they didn’t, I don’t see anything here to worry about just yet. The strikeout rate is high for a Low A player, but he has the power to justify it and he really hasn’t had time to make any adjustments yet. I doubt he finishes the year with a K% that high (but it is possible). The general upward trend in the walk rate could be statistical noise, but if it holds up it could indicate that he is getting used to the strike zone and learning what pitches to drive and which ones to lay off.
We need more data, both in numbers and in video when the Cubs are at home, before we can infer any lessons from his performance with any kind of confidence, but for a teenager in the Midwest League is he off to a strong start. That is exactly what we were hoping to see from Jimenez this year.[adinserter block=”1″]
Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Oklahoma City 4, Iowa 2
Oklahoma City is a tough lineup, and Johnson had some trouble with it.
Double A: Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee 11, Mobile 2
Come for the homers, stay for the steals. This team is doing both.
High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Potomac 7, Myrtle Beach 4
Martinez did not have one of his better games, and Potomac took full advantage.
Low A: South Bend Cubs
South Bend 7, Quad Cities 5
The Cubs have now won six in a row.
Other Notes
