Sodo Mojo’s Top 10 Mariners Prospects: #7 Anthony Jiminez

We continue our countdown of the 10 best prospects in the Seattle Mariners Farm System. Today, we profile a 22-year-old Venezuela product who could be a quick riser through the system, with an interesting skill set to boot.

Anthony Jimenez , the young Venezuelan outfielder, has been a producer at the plate, ever since he joined the Mariners on July 3rd, 2013. The right-handed hitter spent a majority of his 2017 season playing at the A-Ball level in Clinton.

Over his 64 games in Clinton, Jimenez did what he has always done: hit. Boasting an impressive .298/.362/.482 with 7 homers and 17 doubles in only 228 AB’s, Jimenez more than held his own in his first season playing in the states.

In fact, Jimenez essentially repeated his numbers over the previous 3 seasons across the Dominican, Venezuelan and Arizona league respectively. During his 248 games at the lowest levels of the minors, Jimenez has posted a career .297/.370/.444 slash line.

In addition to his skills at the plate, Jiminez has proven to be a skillful base-runner. He 91 stolen bases in his career, and has been caught just  27 times. There is still work to be done on the bases, but his plus speed covers most of his warts.

Defensively, Jimenez has spent most of his career bouncing between center and right field. Jimenez is athletic enough to play all 3 outfield spots. With his plus speed, Jimenez could develop into a plus center fielder, but needs to take crisper routes to the baseball. For now, he is a good defensive prospect, with a good arm to boot.

Scouting Grades (20-80)- Hit: 55 Power: 45 Run: 60 Arm: 55 Field: 60 Overall: 55

Admittedly, I am higher on Jimenez than most rankings might be. There are a lot of legitimate questions about Jimenez that we still need answers too. I am a believer in his power tool, as he has a quick bat and is still adding strength to his 5’11”, 165 lbs frame.

There is some swing and miss to Jiminez approach, but he should walk enough to post a good OBP. His ability to hit to all fields and his plus speed should give him a decent batting average floor as well.

Jiminez will likely start the season in High-A Modesto, and could finish it in AA Arkansas. If he continues to show what he has in the lower levels, Jiminez is a legit prospect for Mariners fans to get excited about. A strong season could see him move up these rankings quickly.

Next: Top 10 Mariners Prospects: #8 Ronald Rosario

The Mariners farm system needs high upside guys like Jiminez to reach their potential. Of all the players who fit this mold, Jiminez is the guy I would bet on. His blend of tools point to big things for Jiminez. 2018 is a big year for Jiminez, and Mariners fans should expect big things from him.