Mets’ Jacob Reimer Knows Timing Is Everything
Even as the number of area scouts attending Jacob Reimer’s high school games dwindled in the spring of 2022, the Mets’ conviction remained strong.
More than a dozen Mets evaluators reported back positively on Reimer, prompting the club to select the Yucaipa (Calif.) High product in the fourth round and go over slot to sign him away from a Washington commitment.
Now, on the heels of a 2024 season stymied by a hamstring injury, the 21-year-old Reimer is showing what he’s capable of with High-A Brooklyn in what could be a breakout season for the third baseman.
At no point was that more apparent than Reimer’s three-home run game at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Park on April 30. It was just the second three-homer game in the 25-season history of the pitcher-friendly park.
The last time it happened was when Noel Devarez did it on July 1, 2001, shortly after the park opened.
Reimer’s power display helped earn him South Atlantic League player of the month honors. He hit .318/.383/.659 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 21 games, drawing nine walks against 22 strikeouts.
For Reimer, it was validation that his curiosity about hitting technique and technology was paying off.
“He got in the Mets’ hitting lab, and they pointed some things out,” Brooklyn hitting coach Bryan Muniz said. “Now, he’s in a better position to stay behind the ball and keep rotating through the zone to get the ball in the air, especially to his pull side.”
“In his time at Brooklyn, he’s really bought in and sticking with the approach. It’s about knowing what the pitcher will try to do to get him out, and waiting for a mistake. He’s done a good job of not missing mistakes.”
Both Reimer’s pull rate and flyball rate were up noticeably in the early stages of 2025.
He explained his thought process and evolution as a hitter to the “Intentional Talk” hosts on MLB Network.
“I was getting beat by velo, so I naturally opened up more without thinking about it. My mind just did it,” Reimer said on the broadcast. “But I couldn’t hit anything outside. I just hit everything on the ground.”
Reimer said that he learned from his time at the Mets’ hitting lab that a more closed-off stance and greater hip rotation could help him get on track.
“You’ve just got to trust the turn,” Reimer told MLB Network. “Hitting velocity isn’t about cheating to it. It’s about being on time. Timing is everything in baseball.”
