Detroit Tigers: Pitching Prospect Joe Jimenez Promoted to AAA
By Matt Snyder
The Detroit Tigers promoted stud right handed reliever Joe Jimenez from AA Erie to AAA Toledo after Thursday’s game.
Joe Jimenez, the Detroit Tigers presumptive closer of the future, is now one step away from the major leagues.
The Tigers announced on Thursday night that the potential ace reliever had been promoted from AA Erie to AAA Toledo.
The 21-year-old was signed by the Tigers as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He was thought of as a player worthy of a selection in the early rounds, but high signing bonus demands scared teams away. The Tigers scooped him up after the draft and he’s been dominating the minor leagues ever since.
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For his minor league career, Jimenez has thrown 125 innings with a 1.50 ERA and 188 strikeouts against just 36 walks. That strikeout total stands out even more when reported as a rate stat: Jimenez has fanned 39% of the batters he’s faced in his minor league career (and more than 40% of batters this year in both his stops at Lakeland and Erie).
The Tigers have said that they won’t rush him to the big leagues, but he’s been nothing short of dominant at every level in the minors. I would expect the Tigers to watch him for about a month in AAA but, if they’re still in major contention when the calendar is ready to turn to September, they’d be wise to promote him to the major leagues.
It’s also possible that the Tigers could use Jimenez as a trade chip in the coming days, but with the team needing pitching and Jimenez being a potential stud pitcher it might make more sense to promote him rather than deal him away.
With the back end of the bullpen showing stability with Francisco Rodriguez, Justin Wilson, and Shane Greene, the Tigers wouldn’t necessarily need Jimenez to come in to pitch in high pressure situations. He could be a sixth inning bullet and and important depth piece as the Tigers look to make a run for October.
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Jimenez has only faced 80 batters above A-ball so it’s important not to think of him as an instant savior, but he could be a real bullpen weapon for the Tigers stretch if he continues to do what he’s always done.