DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #16 Dany Jimenez

Dany Jimenez RHP.  DOB:  12/23/1993.  6'3", 190 lbs.

A+:  5-1, 3.55, 25.1 IP, 16.70 K/9, 3.20 BB/9, 4 Saves.
AA:  2-2, 1.87, 33.2 IP, 12.30 K/9, 3.21 BB/9, 6 Saves.

Rule 5 Picks are another conundrum when is comes to ranking them in a prospect list.  On the one hand, they are guaranteed a shot in spring training.  On the other, if it does not go well, and it almost never does, they have to be offered back to the team they were drafted from who almost always takes them back.  So yeah, they are THIS close to the major leagues but THAT far away!

There are some reasons why we might be a bit more optimistic about Dany Jimenez:  1.  He's got great stuff!  Per Fangraphs, a Mid-90's FB which gets up to 97 with a high spin rate and with a put away breaking ball that comes out of the same overhand release point. Fangraphs rates both pitches as 60's.  2.  He's pitched successfully in AA.  Successful players in AA are generally considered to be less than a year of development away from the majors.  3.  Roster expansion.  26 roster spots makes more room to keep a player that otherwise a team might think they don't have room for.  The only problem is rosters are limited to 13 pitchers and many teams, including the Giants, have gone with just 4 positional bench players in order to carry 13 pitchers, so that 26'th roster spot will mostly benefit positional players hoping for a bench job.  Eric Longerhagen of Fangraphs says, "I think he's pretty likely to stick in a relief role."