From Meisel:
If you’re waiting for Giménez to stumble into an extended slump, don’t hold your breath. His consistency has been commendable, especially for a young player navigating his way through his first full season without a trip to the minors.
Giménez’s OPS by month
April: .921
May: .754
June: .914
July: .809
August: .889
With production like that, it’s no wonder he kisses the sweet spot on his bat each time he approaches the plate.
Since the fifth day of the season, Giménez’s batting average has never dipped below .286. He has made life miserable for right-handed pitchers and has fared pretty well against lefties, too. He’s hit for some power and stolen some bases, and a 20/20 season isn’t out of the question. Giménez has also trimmed his strikeout rate to 20.5 percent, which is a bit better than league average.
And then there’s the timing of his production. With runners in scoring position, Giménez owns a .372/.429/.744 slash line. With two outs and runners in scoring position, his OPS soars to 1.244. In those situations, he has been more than twice as productive as the league-average hitter.
If there’s something worth nitpicking about Giménez’s approach at the plate, it’s that he doesn’t draw enough walks. But he compensates for that shortcoming by being plunked every five minutes. He ranks fourth in the majors with 15 hit-by-pitches, which isn’t the sort of achievement that will earn a display on his mom’s refrigerator.
His production at the plate, paired with elite middle infield defense — he ranks in the 91st percentile in Outs Above Average — has translated into sixth place on the AL fWAR leaderboard. Not too shabby of a breakout season for a guy who had his confidence rattled last season upon a demotion to Triple A.
“He’s getting better right in front of our eyes,” Francona said.
