Blue Jays would love for this infielder to be more consistent with his power in 2026

"Bo Bichette was never exactly a savant with the glove, but he did stubbornly refuse to move off shortstop until the Blue Jays found themselves in the World Series last year. Then, he accepted a slide over to the other side of the second base bag (partly fueled by a lingering knee injury), and Giménez delivered a promising proof of concept during the Fall Classic."

"Now, 27-year-old middle infielder is going to try and add a fourth Gold Glove to his trophy cabinet, having collected three straight at the keystone with the Guardians from 2022-24. Even if he doesn't earn such a prestigious honor, Blue Jays fans know he can handle his new position, he's accrued +8 Outs Above Average and +6 Defensive Runs Saved at short throughout his career."

"Though he'll probably never come close to replicating his 2022 breakout season - he hit .297/.371/.466 (141 wRC+) with 17 home runs - Giménez can still provide net-positive contributions from the bottom of the lineup. Even as his bat slipped to below-average territory in 2023, he managed to hit 15 home runs (while stealing 30 bases). Combined with his sterling defensive efforts, that earned him 3.8 fWAR for that campaign."

Andrés Giménez is positioned to become the Toronto Blue Jays' starting shortstop in 2026, taking over from Bo Bichette who moved to second base during last year's World Series. The 27-year-old middle infielder brings elite defensive credentials, having won three consecutive Gold Gloves at shortstop with the Guardians from 2022-24, plus career metrics of +8 Outs Above Average and +6 Defensive Runs Saved at the position. While his defensive prowess is established, Giménez's offensive development will determine the success of the Bichette replacement plan. Though he doesn't need to match Bichette's offensive output given supporting players like Ernie Clement and Kazuma Okamoto, rediscovering his power stroke would significantly help. His 2022 breakout season (.297/.371/.466, 141 wRC+, 17 home runs) remains his peak, but even below-average offensive years have yielded positive contributions when combined with his defense.

Read at Jays Journal