PORT ST. LUCIE – Andres Gimenez, widely regarded as the top prospect in the Mets organization, stood in the clubhouse fielding questions through an interpreter but answering in English. He looked very relaxed, very poised but at 19, he also looked like he was ready to bolt for the start of his next Little League game.
“To get to have these young guys come up here for us to get to see them is really fun,” said manager Mickey Callaway.
Making it even more fun was seeing Gimenez stroke two hits, drive in the Mets’ only run and handle what chances he had at shortstop smoothly in the 5-1 Grapefruit League loss to the Cardinals Friday. It was Gimenez’s first start — he played the whole game — and his fifth appearance of the spring.
“It’s great for me, it’s a dream come true to play with the big leaguers, to play with some of my heroes I was just watching on TV. Right now playing here is big,” said the lefty-hitting Gimenez, whose plate discipline and glove are seen as major plusses in the eyes of those who matter.
The 5-11, 161-pound Gimenez, signed out of Venezuela in 2015, called his high ranking among Mets prospects “special” – almost as special as the chance to play with some of his “heroes,” such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares. Cabrera did not play but the others did and Gimenez, who down the line could be penciled in at second next to another shortstop of the future, Amed Rosario, was pumped.
“It’s special,” Gimenez said of his high prospect ranking. “But I know I need to work hard every day for my dream to come true. It’s big for me to be a prospect in the organization but it’s special for me too and I’ve got to keep working.”
Gimenez doubled in a run going the opposite way in the fifth inning against Dakota Hudson, one of the Cards’ top pitching prospects. He pulled a single against lefty Sean Gilmartin, the ex-Met, in the seventh. He ended the day 2-of-3.
“He showed very good poise. Obviously, very good at-bats,” Callaway said. “He has such a good clock when he’s out there. The game doesn’t speed up on him. He looks like a veteran fielder. The things that stood out to (bench coach) Gary DiSarcina and myself were his ability to stay locked into the game, move around, remember the hitters be in the right position, always looking in. He’s had some really good instruction. Really nice looking little player. It looks like his defense is going to be solid for a long, long period of time.”
