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Andrés Giménez is a good option for the bottom of the Blue Jays batting order
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Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 27, 2025, 17:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 27, 2025, 14:34 EST
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The Toronto Blue Jays lineup is going to look much different in 2025.
With the signing of Anthony Santander, the Blue Jays have added some thump to their lineup. Santander is an excellent choice for the clean-up hitter, as his 44 home runs ranked third in the league last season. Moreover, his addition gives Vladimir Guerrero Jr. some protection as he’ll bat in the third spot.
Of course, if the Jays want to be successful in 2025, Bo Bichette needs to return to the form he was in before the 2024 season. If he can, he’s their clear #2 hitter. After that, the lineup gets a little bit dicey as it’s clear that the team isn’t done making moves.
Could they sign Pete Alonso, another prolific power hitter, and play him in the fifth spot in the lineup? Will George Springer turn back time and be a productive lead-off hitter, or will the Blue Jays need to sign a high-OBP guy on a minor-league deal for that role?
What about their other big acquisition this off-season, Andrés Giménez? What will he hit in the lineup this season?

Where does Andrés Giménez fit in the batting order?

Aside from defence, Giménez’s best tool is his speed. Last season, he stole 30 bases in 35 attempts which is the second such season he’s reached 30 stolen bases. For his career, he’s stolen 99 bases in 114 attempts, with a career Base Running (BsR) of 14.5. Last season, it sat at 2.2, with his career-best being 4.1 in 2023.
I thought “Hey, maybe it’s a good thing the Blue Jays missed out on Jurickson Profar, as Giménez may be an in-house option to lead off.” Well, then I looked at his on-base percentage from 2024 – .298.
As a whole, he slashed .252/.298/.340 with nine home runs in 633 plate appearances for an 83 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR, with most of his fWAR coming from defence. For his career, the 26-year-old left-handed batter is slashing .261/.322/.393 with 49 home runs in 2,148 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+.
Of course, the Blue Jays are betting on his bat to eventually bounce back. In 2022, Giménez slashed .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs in 557 plate appearances, with a 141 wRC+ and a 6.1. This version of Giménez, if he ever returns, would be an excellent lead-off hitter.
That season, Giménez had 149 plate appearances batting fifth in the Guardians lineup while getting 135 plate appearances in the seventh spot. He was most often penciled in at the sixth spot in the batting order, receiving 214 plate appearances there.
The 2023 season, a season where Giménez slashed .251/.314/.399 with 15 home runs in 616 plate appearances, saw a slight shift in where in the batting order he was deployed. Most of his plate appearances came at either the fifth or the sixth spot, and he still received 72 plate appearances in the seventh spot. However, the Guardians also used Giménez as their two-hole hitter from Jul. 26 until Aug. 13. Out of the four spots, his 122 wRC+ in the two-hole was the highest.
Giménez mainly spent his time in two spots in the lineup in 2025. The 26-year-old received 224 plate appearances in the sixth spot, slashing .268/.305/.340/.645 with an 83 wRC+. His most common spot though was as the two-hole hitter, where he slashed .252/.309/.351 with a 91 wRC+ in 344 plate appearances.
Simply put, Giménez will rarely hit in the second spot of the batting order as long as Bichette remains on the team. He doesn’t have a high enough OBP to lead off, while Guerrero Jr. and Santander have the third and fourth spots locked down respectively. Hopefully, the Blue Jays add a power hitter like Alonso to fill the fifth spot, and there’s a lot of competition for the sixth spot too between George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, and Daulton Varsho.
Giménez’s ideal spot is in the back half of the batting order, but more specifically in the seventh spot as that’s where he’s had the most success in his career (136 wRC+). The Jays could also spread him and Daulton Varsho out in this scenario.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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