The Season That Was: Andrés Giménez

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 19: Andrés Giménez #0 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings his bat during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Jays traded for Andrés Giménez (along with Nick Sandlin) on December 10th, 2024, sending Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell to the Guardians.Mitchell played Double-A this year, hitting .261/.361/.362 split between the Guardians and Nationals systems. He was one of four players shipped to Washington for Foster Griffin, who made 9 starts for Cleveland, with a 5.19 ERA. He had a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings in the playoffs.Horwitz was flipped to the Pirates. He’s hit .258/.348/.398 in 222 games for the Pirates, with a 1.4 bWAR. Not quite the numbers you want from a first baseman.Sandlin pitched 16 innings for the Jays in 2025 and 8 for the Angels in 2026.Giménez played 101 games for the Jays in 2025, hitting .210/.285/.313 (with occasional streaks of power) and playing terrific defense at second base. .This year, he moved to shortstop after Bo Bichette left as a free agent.Standard Batting TableAgeWARGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSOPS+GIDPHBPSHSFIBB271.1148508468381142519592041794.244.291.359.64978716252Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original TableGenerated 11/9/2026.Baseball Reference had him at a 1.1 WAR. FanGraphs liked him more, with a 2.8 WAR, giving him a value of $22.4 million to the Jays.Andrés had a .286 wOBA and a 81 wRC+.His walk rate was way down from last year, 3.3% (from 6.8). The strikeout rate was up 18.5% (from 17.9).Giménez’s line-drive rate was down a bit (21.0% from 22.4). The ground ball rate was up (44.2% from 42.6). Fly balls was about the same (34.8% from 35.0). About the same percentage of his fly balls left the park (7.0% from 7.6).Soft contact was up a bit (18.4% from 17.2), and hard contact was up (25.2% from 22.5).Last year, Andrés hit right-handers much much better than left-handers. This year he was almost equal against both (RHP .249/.295 /.365, LHP .231/.280/.343).He was about the same at home (.251/.300/.345) as on the road (.236/.281/.373). Last year he was much better at home. He was about the same in the first half (.232/.277/.363) as the second half (.263/.313/.352). Giménez by month:April: .267/.291/.429 with 3 home runs, 4 walks, 16 strikeouts and 4 steals in 29 games.May: .153/.223/.271 with 3 home runs, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts and 2 steals in 28 games.June: .301/.342/.425 with 1 home run, 1 walk, 20 strikeouts and 4 steals in 25 games.July: .200/.234/.250 with 0 home runs, 2 walks, 10 strikeout, and 2 steals in 22 games.August: .278/.333/.367 with 1 home run, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts and 7 steals in 24 games.September: 258 .319 .379 with 1 home run, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts and 1 steal in 20 games.He was .259/.296/.357 with RISP.Giménez much the same in high leverage spots (.236/.273/.382) as medium (.275/.325/.371) and a little worse in low leverage spots (.219/.269/.338).Defensively?He played 148 games at short with 7 errors for a league high .985 FA (league average .976). Fanraphs has him at a +19 Outs Above Average second in the league to Bobby Witt, Jr. at 24.As a baserunner, he was a +0.7. He was a good percentage basestealer, so he must not have been a great baserunner the rest of the time. Spot in the Batting Order:5th: 1 start: .000/.000/.000.6th: 15 starts: .254/.281/.407.7th: 20 starts: .213/.263/.253.8th: 62 starts: .238/.283/.371.9th: 33 starts: .295/.344/420.Last year he hit in every spot in the order.Favourite team to face? He hit .455/.500/.727 with 1 home run in 6 games against the A’s.Least Favourite? He hit .105/.100/.158 in 6 games against the Angels. Well, he was also 0 for 8 in 3 games against the Nationals.Times facing a starter:First: .265/.310/.427.Second: .265/.288/.363.Third: .308/.357/.462.Swinging at the first pitch, he hit .412/.446/.627.The Jays were 63/68in his starts.His longest hitting streak was 7 games. Longest on base streak was 14 games. Longest without a homer 36 games. Longest hitless streak was 6 games.After years of watching Bo Bichette at short, and I’m not trying to complain about his defense, watching Giménez play short was a bit like mental whiplash. Oh, that ball is going to be in the outfield….nope. You did have to reset your expectations.But then, he was a different guy at the plate too.We are paying him $23,571,429 for the next three seasons (well, one of them is $23,571,428, dollar discount year). And then there is an option year (where they will pay him $2.5 million not to play). The Jays traded for him thinking they could unlock the bat that hit .297/.371/.466 in 2022, but I’m fairly certain that player doesn’t exist anymore. When one season stands out so much, you have to figure it isn’t likely to happen again.But then, he’s only 28 next season, right in his prime; maybe he has another year like that in him. No, I don’t think so either.I guess we’ll have to enjoy his defence and maybe get up for a drink when he’s at bat. Or be happy with the occasional good at-bat and not expect too much. Thank goodness we are not watching him in the cleanup spot anymore.