Jimenez can hit, aims to show Sox he can also play left field

There is no doubt Eloy Jimenez has quickly emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in the American League.

At age 23 last season, he became the youngest White Sox player to win the Silver Slugger.

Jimenez ranked second on the Sox to MVP Jose Abreu in doubles (14), home runs (14), RBI (41) and slugging percentage (.559).

Doing damage with runners on base is a sure sign of a special bat, and Jimenez hit .373/.411/.795 under those conditions. He was even better (.326/.388/.744) with runners in scoring position and better still (.375/.423/.833) with RISP and two outs.

"Eloy is a gifted hitter," White Sox hitting coach Frank Menechino said. "He can control the depth of the baseball. When he has his approach and he's looking for a pitch, he doesn't miss it a lot."

With just 177 games and 730 plate appearances, Jimenez is still a work in progress. Like most power hitters, he is prone to the strikeout.

"Eloy gets a little over aggressive sometimes," Menechino said. "You never see him get passive, so he'll get overaggressive at times. So just learning and knowing when to pick his spots and say, 'Hey, I have to tighten it up' or 'It's OK right now to loosen up my strike zone, tighten up my strike zone, hunt where I have to hunt."

Menechino says Jimenez can be a ".320-.340 hitter when he is convicted with his approach," and that should come with more experience.

"Yeah, I think I can do it," Jimenez said.

In addition to mounting a run at a batting title, the Sox's 24-year-old left fielder has his sights set on "over 40" home runs this season.

"I think that's my number right now," the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder said.

Hitting .340 with 40-plus homers is MVP territory, but Jimenez is still trying to prove he can also contribute on defense.

In 2019, Jimenez twice landed on the injured list after colliding with the left-field fence in April and center fielder Luis Robert in July.

Last season, he got tangled up in the netting at Guaranteed Rate Field after failing to catch a Christian Yelich flyball that went for an inside-the-park home run.

Jimenez slammed into Robert again this spring, but he also made a great catch at the wall in a March 13 Cactus League game vs. the Angels.

Aware that he is being sized up by many as a designated hitter in the near future, Jimenez continues to work on his defense and is determined to change that perception.

"It's everything because I don't want to come out in the seventh inning," Jimenez said. "That's why I work hard every single day, try to do my best at being a complete player. That's why I take so much pride to do everything I can to go out and play hard for my team."

Backup outfielder Adam Engel is a Gold Glove caliber defender, and he often replaces Jimenez late in the game when the score is tight.

Engel wouldn't be surprised if Jimenez becomes a start to finish player.

"I think Eloy has had that drive ever since I've been around him," Engel said. "I think he's got a lot better in the outfield just on a daily basis. It takes a lot of pride and a lot of focus to improve on the defensive side of the ball.

"I think it shows. He's getting better every year. That's a nod to him and we are excited for what that's going to look like this year. The more he works at it, the better he's going to get."