Andres Gimenez entered the 2019 season atop the Mets prospect list after a strong year both offensively and defensively in 2018. He had a .756 OPS overall that included 37 games at Double-A Binghamton to finish the season.

The left-handed hitter was back in Binghamton to the start the 2019 season, as one of the youngest position players in the Eastern League and four years younger than the league average. It was a struggle early on in the season, as he tried to lift the ball more (power was seen as his lowest rated tool) and battled nagging pains.

Gimenez, 21, had a .665 OPS on June 2 when he was hit by a pitch on his wrist. He was placed on the injured list and returned two weeks later. The talented defensive shortstop (voted as best there in Eastern League) hit .261/.305/.411 over the final 71 games after returning from the IL. He was even better over the final two months of the season, with a .761 OPS.

That strong finish carried over to the Arizona Fall League for Gimenez, where he ended up leading the talent-filled group with his .371 average and .999 OPS. He had five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 15 RBIs, and two stolen bases in 18 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Gimenez has been one of the standouts at Mets camp thus far, going 6-for-18 with two doubles, one home run, and two walks. The Venezuelan came into camp noticeably stronger and certainly not still the 161 pounds he was listed at last year.

One of the other big changes for Gimenez has been adding a leg kick at the plate over the last year. Mets manager Luis Rojas told Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News that leg kick would help Gimenez spray the ball better and gain more leverage in his swing.

As you can see in the video below, Gimenez was not using a leg kick in late 2018 during the AFL. He was just using a toe tap.

Then you see that early on in the 2019 season that he was starting to use a small leg kick.

Now in Major League camp in 2020 for the Mets, his leg kick is certainly more pronounced and the early results – combined with the added muscle – have been promising from the power department.

Of course, if Gimenez does start showing more power to go along with his plus glove and above average speed, the question becomes where does he fit long-term on the Mets. He’s likely to start the season in Triple-A Syracuse to be their everyday shortstop. While Amed Rosario is the Mets everyday starting shortstop at the big league level. Gimenez does have experience at second base, the Mets have veteran Robinson Cano under contract through the 2023 season.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN recently ranked Gimenez as the No. 99 prospect in baseball and Andres was as high as No. 30 leading into the 2019 from Baseball America.

Gimenez could start forcing the Mets to make tough decisions if he hits in the regular season like he has so far this spring.