Men lie, woman lie, numbers don’t. If that is true then you could make the case that the White Sox left fielder is already better than Bryce Harper. During MLB Network’s Top 100 Countdown on Thursday night they revealed players 60-41. Seven players have already cracked the Top 100 list thus far. The group includes Luis Robert (94), Yóan Moncada (90), Lance Lynn (75), Lucas Giolito (69), Liam Hendriks (58) and Yasmani Grandal (42).
The second highest rated White Sox player in that group is Eloy Jimenez who came in at 54th. That is 43 spots lower than his 97th ranking coming into last season. Eloy Jimenez made a huge jump offensively in 2020 which was a large factor in him slingshotting up the list. But just how big of a jump did he make? A graphic MLB Network showed when revealing Jimenez at the 54th paints an impressive picture of his numbers against one of the games best outfielders.
Eloy Jimenez Was Better In 2020 Than Bryce Harper In Every Major Offensive Category
Bryce Harper is widely considered to be one of the best outfielders in the game. In nine seasons he already has an MVP, rookie of the year and six All-Star appearances to his name. He has also amassed over 200 home runs and over 1000 hits. He is still on 27 years old. The White Sox even tried to acquire him as a free agent in 2019 but he opted to sign with the Phillies. All it took was a 13-year $330 million dollar contract. Being compared to him in any way is an accomplishment in itself.
The graphic shows that not only was Jimenez comparable to Bryce Harper, but was superior to him in every major offensive category in 2020.
Oh wow #whitesox #changethegame pic.twitter.com/Y85Craxk1s
— Boo Radley (@BRisAbully) February 12, 2021
Despite playing three less games, Jimenez still racked up eight more RBIs, and one more home run. He took home is first (of hopefully many) Silver Slugger Award. What was most impressive about Jimenez season was how he was able to hit for average. He was primarily considered a power hitter his rookie season. He hit 31 home runs, the majority of which were mammoth home runs. However he struck out 134 times and hit .267. That average is not terrible by any means but for a player of his caliber there was room for improvement. He took a large step in 2020 raising his average to .296. He even managed to get a hit in one of his two postseason at bats.
Jimenez Not Quite Better Than Harper…Yet
Fortunately these stats do not showcase defensive talents. While Harper is no world beater in right field he is a significantly better outfielder than Eloy Jimenez. Every time a ball is hit to Jimenez in left field it is an adventure. It should also be noted that Harper has yet to be named on the top 100 current players list, so it is safe to assume he will finish well ahead of Eloy Jimenez.
Fortunately for White Sox fans, Eloy’s offensive abilities outweigh his defensive deficiencies. Jimenez is still only 23 years old and will only get better. White Sox hitting coach Frank Menechino even said he has the ability to win a batting title. If 2020 is any indication then that statement is not as far fetched as it sounds.
