Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2023: 3B Jacob Reimer (14)

Name: Jacob Reimer

Position: 3B

Born: 2/22/2004

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 205 lbs.

Bats/Throws: R/R

Acquired: 2022 MLB Draft, 4th Round (Yucaipa High School, California)

2022 Stats: 7 G, 23 AB, .261/.414/.478, 6 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 3 K, 0/0 SB, .250 BABIP (Rookie)

With a father who played baseball at Concordia University and a mother who played volleyball and basketball player in high school, it comes as no surprise that Jacob Reimer grew up in a household that supported his athletic pursuits. Seeing his son’s interest in baseball as he grew up, Brandon Reimer had a batting cage installed in their home and turned into Jacob’s personal hitting coach and batting practice pitcher, leveraging his baseball knowledge to hone his son’s raw skills.

Jacob initially began his high school baseball career in 2019 on the Yucaipa High School junior varsity baseball team, but by the end of the season, he had been promoted to varsity. He remained there through his senior season, hitting .398 with 8 home runs in his final season with the Thunderbirds. He was selected by the Mets in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and had to choose between going professional or honoring his commitment to University of Washington. His desire to be a pro won out, and the infielder signed with the organization for $775,000, almost $250,000 over the MLB-assigned slot value of $507,500. The Mets assigned him to the FCL Mets in August and he appeared in 7 games with them, hitting .261/.414/.478 with 1 home run, 0 stolen bases, 6 walks to 3 strikeouts.

Reimer stands slightly open at the plate with a wide base, holding his hands high. He swings with a slight leg kick or toe tap timing mechanism and is direct to the ball. While being scouted in 2021 as a junior, evaluators had some concerns about his ability to put bat on ball due to an arm bar and questionable barrel control, but optimizations to his swing mechanics made between then and the conclusion of his senior season this past year satisfied many of the doubters. He generates above-average raw power and has registered exit velocities as high as 95 MPH, but much of his over-the-fence power is limited to batting practice at the present, and he is more contact-oriented during live games, concentrating on just putting barrel to ball. While many of the walks that he drew were because opponents were pitching around him, Reimer does have a good eye and selective with the pitches he swings at, letting questionable pitches go by and swinging at pitches he believes he can drive. He sometimes gets pull heavy but is capable of using the entire field.

Reimer has mainly played third base for the Yucapia Thunderbirds, but head coach Ralph Grajeda moved him to shortstop this past season. In his limited professional innings in 2022, he spent all of his time on the field at third base. He is an athletic 6’2”, 205-pounds and showed no issues as a prep shortstop, but his future is undoubtedly at third, as the game will likely move too fast for him at short as a professional. His arm and mobility profile well at either position at the present, but additional muscle mass will likely slow him down and limit his range and mobility in the future. Some have concerns that he may eventually be forced to move off of the left side of the infield altogether, but he should be able to man the hot corner for many years to come.

Steve Says:

Scouts and evaluators have mixed opinions about Jacob Reimer and how he’ll fare as a professional, but as a Mets fan, it’s hard not to look at him and feel shades of David Wright. If Reimer even sniffs a quarter of Wright’s success, that would be a major, major win. He looked solid in his professional debut last year, but seven complex games is a worthless sample. He could be a big breakout star this time next year if he is able to replicate those kinds of numbers in full season ball.

Lukas Says:

The second- and third- hand whispers you hear about Reimer back up his outstanding seven game pro debut. A good eye at the plate, more bat control than you’d expect given the swing mechanics, burgeoning raw power- in short, all the elements you want in an intriguing mid-round prep bat. He’s not going to be a 150 wRC+ caliber hitter that walks twice as often as he strikes out obviously, but the Mets may have struck gold here. He’s arguably the most exciting prospect to follow in the system in 2023, at least based on upside relative to pedigree.

Thomas Says:

One of my favorite draftees from this past draft, Reimer has two things I love to see in any position player prospect: a good eye and an ability to hit the ball hard. A swing change between his junior and senior year saw his exit velos skyrocket, and he took his walks when he was surely pitched around in high school. While we haven’t seen much of him at the pro level, Reimer had a very impressive cameo into the Mets system, hitting .261/.414/.478 in seven games in the Florida Coast League. While obviously seven games is nothing, he showed a lot of why the Mets drafted him, and had an ability to shoot up the rankings with a strong 2023.