The 2023 baseball season marked the seventh season in the major leagues for Braves relief pitcher, Joe Jimenez. He spent the first six years of his career playing for the Detroit Tigers in the American League before Alex Anthopoulos traded for him during Winter Meetings last December. AA sent the Tigers cash considerations, minor league outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy, and minor league pitcher Jake Higginbotham.
Jimenez was coming off his best year as a Tiger. He had a 3-2 record with a 3.49 ERA as he struck out 77 batters and only walked 13. He was one of the top bullpen arms in the MLB as far as strikeouts were concerned. His career stat line for the Tigers garnered him a 5.24 ERA over his six-year stretch.
How would Jimenez be affected by going from one of the worst teams in the country to a team that has World Series aspirations and isn't long removed from winning a World Series? As you can tell by the title of this article, he's taking a page out of the book of Eric Church. He's havin' a "Record Year" in Atlanta.
Jimenez has an 0-3 record with a 2.68 ERA in 45 appearances. In his last 30 games, he has an 0-3 record with a 1.82 ERA. He struck out 37 batters and only walked 10 during that stretch. He has 54 strikeouts compared to only 13 walks this season. That kind of production is what can propel a team to a pennant in the playoffs.
He's solidly put himself into Atlanta's high-leverage mix as we approach the playoffs, and looks to be an integral piece of the bullpen in the postseason.
So, thanks Detroit, for Joe Jimenez's "Record Year."
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