We’ve seen this a couple times already in his rookie year: Eloy Jimenez will reach a point where even his outs are impressive. Shortly after, he goes on a hot streak. Over the past week or so, it seems as though Jimenez is beginning to enter another one of those streaks, although this time, the “streak” could actually last him the rest of the season if he stays healthy.
When I wrote about my predictions for the second half of the season, I had this to say about Jimenez:
I believe that Jimenez will continue to build on his impressive June and finish the season on a high note. Brandon Lowe, the current AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner, is due for some regression, so if Eloy maintains his pace, he should find himself firmly in the conversation for the award.
Unfortunately, Jimenez got injured early in the second half, and is only just now returning to form. To better understand why I think he is going to have a strong finish to the year, let’s take a look at his 2019 campaign as a whole. I think his season should be split up into 5 sections:
- 3/28-4/26 (21 games) Jimenez debuted in March and played 21 games before suffering a high right ankle sprain. He hit .241/.294/.380 with a 79 wRC+. It was not the start fans were hoping for, but the sample size was so small that it was not worth worrying about.
- 5/20-6/7 (17 games) Jimenez returned from injury in late May, but took a couple weeks to regain his timing. Over his first 17 games back from the injured list, Jimenez hit .210/.258/.387 with a 67 wRC+. This was another small sample with poor numbers, but it can at least partially be explained by his timing being off.
- 6/8-7/16 (29 games) With his timing back, Jimenez was terrific over his next 29 games, hitting .267/.345/.625 (.970 OPS) with a 147 wRC+. This is the longest stretch I am using, mainly because it is the only stretch where Eloy was both fully healthy and free of rust. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that he was a force to be reckoned with over this time. This is also the period where his defense was best.
- 7/28-8/13 (16 games) Unfortunately, Jimenez’s roll was halted by another injury, and only now does his timing appear to be back. Over this stretch, Jimenez hit .212/.235/.333 with a 46 wRC+.
- 8/14-TBD Obviously, this is a prediction, but Jimenez is starting to look like the player he was during his healthy and rust-free stretch in June and July. If he remains healthy, I think he will cap off his season in an encouraging manner.
That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
— McCann On 35th (@SoxOn35th) August 14, 2019
Even with his injuries and rusty stretches, Jimenez is on a 162 game pace of 39 home runs. I attribute his struggles to injuries that have interrupted his rhythm more than anything else, and I still believe that he would be in the Rookie of the Year conversation if he were healthy for the entire second half. Health is the key for him, and it would perhaps be wise for the White Sox, now that he is seemingly at the dawn of a hot streak, to bat Jimenez 3rd in the order. Recouping even a dozen or so plate appearances over the rest of the season cannot be anything but a positive for a rookie who has missed time due to injury.
My long-term outlook on Jimenez has not changed at all this season. I believe that his defense will improve to the point where he is a passable left fielder, which is how he looked to me for a significant stretch in between his two injuries. Offensively, I would argue that his hot streaks are more indicative of the true Eloy we will see for the next several years, as long as he can stay healthy. His power is real, and his plate discipline has improved as the season has gone on. It would not surprise me in the least if Jimenez makes adjustments and suddenly becomes a ~.900 OPS star as early as next season, just like a certain teammate of his did this season. A strong and healthy finish to the 2019 season would be the first step for Jimenez to make that leap.
Featured Photo: @FotoGenocide_ (Twitter)
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