Mets Select Antonio Jimenez with the 102nd Overall Pick

With the 102nd pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Antonio Jimenez, a shortstop out of UCF. This was the Mets’ second draft choice of the night, with the first being the selection of Mitch Voit out of Michigan. As a reminder, the Mets’ third-round selection was their second pick of the draft – the team forfeited their second-rounder as a competitive-balance penalty for signing Juan Soto in the offseason.

Jimenez began his collegiate career at the University of Miami before transferring north to UCF for his sophomore season. A larger shortstop, Jimenez is an incredible athlete with great range, good speed, a solid glove for the position, and a great arm. Jimenez stands at 6’1″ and 200lbs, both throwing and hitting from the right side. Jimenez was the somewhat rare draft-eligible shortstop. There is still considerable room for Jimenez to continue to grow into his frame. At 21, 15-20 pounds remain for Jimenez to add to his muscle through his minor-league career.

Antonio Jimenez’s 2nd inning ????????

Saved a run Got us two pic.twitter.com/RWOk7GLUWS

— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 22, 2025

The Hialeah, Florida native anchored the UCF lineup through Big 12 play this year, slashing .329/,407/.575 (.982 OPS) with 11 homers and 11 stolen bases. He drove in 51 runs, typically hitting in the lower half of the order and cleaning up the heart of the order. He excelled in a position that allowed him to drive in runs and display his above-average raw power.

Jimenez was also a staple on the up the middle of the diamond, playing exclusively shortstop for the Knights. Jimenez has the range to play either side of second base, but his plus arm allows him to play shortstop effectively. His arm also gives him a decent chance to remain at shortstop long-term.

Very high on sophomore-eligible SS Antonio Jimenez from UCF.

107.8 90th% EV
115.2 Max EV
9.2 iZ-Whiff%

Sprays the ball to all fields and also has a 60-grade arm at short. Top 20 college bat on my board. pic.twitter.com/hUD8uPyzwr

— Quinn Riley (@QuinnRileyBB) June 28, 2025

Jimenez has a sweet swing from the right side, posing a legitimate power threat while being able to utilize his speed to generate extra base-hits where there otherwise might not be. Overall, he tallied 27 total extra-base hits in 55 games for UCF. Jimenez also shows a willingness to use the entire field, including the opposite field.

The 21-year-old has a solid eye, walking 25 times during his sophomore season. The strikeout bug did ail him to an extent, punched out 46 times during the season. Jimenez is said to struggle with breaking pitches that fall out of the strike zone, but is incredibly well-suited at mashing fastballs.

MLB Pipeline ranked Jimenez as their 172nd-ranked player. On his offensive profile, they scout that “his swing works particularly well on pitches middle-in, and he’ll show off at least above-average raw power to his pull side, getting to it consistently in games this year.”

Despite only being a sophomore, Jimenez was one of the best collegiate bats in the country. He posted one of the highest OPS marks in the Big 12, one of college baseball’s premier conferences. Of note, 2024 first-round selection Carson Benge and 2023 third-rounder Nolan McLean are Big 12 products. Jimenez, overall, was one of the best shortstops in all of college baseball in 2025 and still has considerable room to grow.

The signing bonus value of the 102nd selection is $752,000. As a reminder, the Mets’ bonus pool sits at $5,465,900, the second smallest in the draft. Given that Jimenez is only a sophomore, there is no guarantee that he will sign with the Mets. He can return to school for his junior year in Orlando and still have two seasons left while also being draft-eligible for both seasons.

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