Fabian Jimenez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Diego Padres #29 prospect in 2006
  San Diego signed Jimenez out of Colombia on his 16th birthday, and his performance in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League in 2003 quickly made him the subject of trade talks involving established major leaguers. The Padres always have loved his upside, which may have led them to be a little too aggressive with him. They sent him to low Class A as an 18-year-old at the start of 2005, and he quickly fizzled after winning three of his first four starts. He went 0-7, 10.58 in his final 10 starts for Fort Wayne before going to Eugene. Long and lanky, Jimenez has intriguing stuff but little feel for his craft. His fastball sits in the low 90s at times and touches 94, but he worked more in the high 80s last year because of sloppy mechanics. He has yet to develop much of a breaking ball, and to call his changeup a work in progress may be giving it too much credit. His control and command also have a long way to go. His raw skills and youth keep the Padres optimistic about Jimenez, who will get another shot at low Class A in 2006.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #19 prospect in 2005
  Pitching in Venezuela as a 16-year old, Jimenez's raw arm attracted the interest of other teams, who have already inquired about him in trade talks. He has the highest upside of any lefthander in the system. Tall and lanky, Jimenez delivers fastballs in the 90-92 mph range, and the Padres believe he could reach the mid-90s as he matures. He generates considerable tilt on his breaking ball, has a good feel for pitching and knows how to set up hitters. Jimenez is still young and raw, and has problems with keeping his mechanics consistent, leading to control problems. He needs to learn how to throw his breaking ball out of the strike zone and get hitters to chase the pitch. His changeup is still far from being a usable offering. With youth on his side, there's no need to rush Jimenez. The co-winner of most improved pitcher honors during instructional league, he'll likely play at Eugene in 2005, but could see time in low Class A if he progresses more quickly.