Former Guardian emerging an unlikely run producer for Cinderella Blue Jays 

After picking up a big 6-1 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday, the Toronto Blue Jays are just a win away from being the last team standing in the 2025 season.

While their lineup is power hitters Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Daulton Varsho, it also has some lighter-hitting players who are better known for what they do with the glove than the bat. 

One of those players is former Guardian Andrés Giménez, who hit a career-worst .210 in 110 games during the regular season. 

But, like seemingly every Blue Jays, Giménez has flipped a switch in October to become an incredible run producer at the bottom of Toronto’s lineup. 

Even after going 0-for-3 on Wednesday, Giménez is hitting .241 this postseason with 11 RBI. He’s driven in nine of those runs while being in the No. 9 spot in the lineup, which is two away from tying the record for the most driven in from that spot in a single postseason. 

While Giménez’s first regular regular season with the Blue Jays was defined by some of the same bad habits that plagued his time in Cleveland, he’s come up clutch on the biggest stage. 

Andrés Giménez has been a weapon of mass production for the Blue Jays this postseason

The biggest reason for Giménez’s uptick in run production has been his ability to capitalize with runners in scoring position. After hitting just .253 with runners in scoring position in the regular season, Giménez has gone 7-for-14 (.500) in the postseason.

He also hit home runs in back-to-back games against the Mariners in the ALCS, which will always help with run production. 

Giménez’s time in Cleveland was defined by a series of peaks and valleys. After starting in a valley in a disastrous 2021 season, he reached a peak in 2022 when he hit .297 with 17 home runs — a performance that helped him earn a seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension with the Guardians. 

It didn’t take long for that contract to become an anchor for the Guardians’ payroll. While Giménez is one of the best defenders in all of baseball, he hit .252 across the final two seasons of his Guardians tenure before being traded to Toronto at last year’s winter meetings. 

Giménez was still a great defender for the Blue Jays this year (97th percentile in Outs Above Average) but also finished in the eighth percentile in exit velocity and barrel rate at the plate. 

While the Guardians were still smart to move off his contract, this postseason has been a stark reminder of the kind of value he can bring to the table.