Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	A.J. Jimenez Born: 05/01/1990 (Age: 23)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 195
	Primary Position: C

Very good athlete; physically ripped; strong, muscular upper body and sturdy lower half; body fits the position well; Tommy John surgery in 2012 that was a continuation of elbow issues before the draft; still recovering but coming along well.

Evaluator	Mark Anderson
Report Date	06/20/2013
Dates Seen	6/14/13 to 6/16/13
Affiliate	New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA, Blue Jays)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2014	Moderate	45	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	45	Balanced set-up at the plate and remains balanced throughout swing; hands start a little high, up towards shoulder level; loads very late with hands still high at pitch release; quick/sharp load to drop hands and pull them back; load leads to some trouble with velocity as the bat is late to the zone if his timing is off; plus bat speed with a relatively short swing path once he gets going; modest approach and will expand strike zone with quality breaking balls; reads CH well and can stay back and take the other way; willing to work to the opposite field; line drives from gap to gap; fringy hitter with present rough edges and OBP driven by batting average.
Power	35	Below average raw power despite present strength and bat speed; good doubles hitter with 25-plus potential annually; lacks home run projection with line drive approach; potential 6-10 home runs a year at peak.
Baserunning/Speed	40	Below average down the line with 4.41 and 4.44 digs; can show a little better when up to speed; decent instincts shown on the bases and potential to be a solid baserunner; speed will never be part of his game. Good enough athlete to maintain most of his speed despite rigors of the position.
Glove	65	Leads the overall profile; true asset behind the plate; chance to be a difference maker as backstop; tremendous receiver of the baseball; makes it all look very easy; handles velocity extremely well; pockets the ball routinely; receives breaking balls and changeup with the same acumen as fastballs; incredibly strong wrists and hands; holds the glove firmly in position after the pitch with no noticeable drift at any point in two games; gets down quickly to block balls; very adept at keeping breaking balls in front of him; can pick the ball too but prefers to drop and block; wasn’t tested by baserunners but showed good footwork in warm-ups; strong arm and hints of quality footwork/transfer suggest he can post good pop times; called aggressive games with pitchers attacking hitters with fastballs; appeared to have good rapport with staff; needs some polish after missed time with injury; very strong overall defensive profile that can carry an MLB career.
Arm	60	Still coming back from injury; shows no ill effects; ball comes out cleanly with good velocity and tremendous accuracy; consistently average with frequent plus showings; just a year removed from surgery, potential for true plus arm at full strength; arm is good enough to deter baserunners.

Surprising athlete for his position; converted outfielder; moves well on the diamond; appears to enjoy every minute on the field; strong competitor with some outward emotion; high aptitude for the game; rates highly on the softer points of the game.

Very impressed with defensive profile; has all the tools to be a top-flight defender that is considered one of the best in the game; receiving is first rate; very good blocker; has arm strength and projects to see more added as he gets further away from surgery; strong plus defensive profile that will push him to MLB; can make contact; has offensive weaknesses including big velo; still potential to hit .260-.265 at peak; won’t pad OBP outside of batting average; power and speed are below average and not significant elements of his game; could show some doubles power at peak; still a little raw all-around because of time missed; defense-first overall profile; will be an MLB player but likely stretched as a regular.