Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez has been in lots of headlines this season because of his breakout season at the plate.
And, in reality, it’s hard to blame people for focusing on that: after all, he is hitting .304/.360/.493 with an .853 OPS a year after finishing with a lousy .633 OPS.
However, we often forget his glove was seen as a plus tool by scouts all over the league.
His excellent defense, together with his high offensive ceiling back then when he came over to the Guardians in the Francisco Lindor trade, was one of the reasons the team was enamored with him.
In Tuesday’s All-Star Game, he flashed some of that defensive excellence.
On a Manny Machado chopper towards second base, Gimenez moved to his right to field the ball up the middle and make an acrobatic throw to shortstop Tim Anderson, who threw to first to complete the gorgeous double play.
“.@AndresGimenez started this awesome double play in the #AllStarGame! This is your Electric Play of the Week.” MLB’s official Twitter account wrote on Monday afternoon.
.@AndresGimenez started this awesome double play in the #AllStarGame!
This is your Electric Play of the Week.
(MLB x @Chevrolet) pic.twitter.com/gf1hNDvba6
— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2022
A Smooth Fielder
A natural shortstop, the transition to second base in the last couple of years has been smooth for the talented infielder.
He has quick feet, great instincts and reactions, smooth hands, and a good arm for the position.
The numbers also say he has been excellent: he has 4 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and 3 OAA (Outs Above Average), which are the two primary defensive metrics used to evaluate performance.
All things considered, the Guardians have to feel happy with what they have in Gimenez.
He showed his worth on the biggest stage, in the All-Star Game.
Now, it’s time to dominate in the second half.
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