Exclusive: Mets’ 2025 Third-Round Pick Antonio Jimenez

Antonio Jimenez is one of a kind.

The Mets had never drafted a player from the University of Central Florida before the fifth round. That changed in 2025 when the opportunity to add Jimenez to their organization came along.

The club poached the draft-eligible sophomore with their third-round pick, 102nd overall, in the 2025 MLB Draft, inking him to a bonus worth $564,000. Jimenez joined UCF alums Alex Freeland, Dylan Moore, Ben Lively, and Edian Espinal in professional ball.

After a season where the infielder slashed .329/.407/.575, he was named among the top 100 collegiate shortstops by way of the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, a grouping of players headed by the premier selections of the 2025 draft and the potential top picks from the 2026 draft class.

Being in the same conversation with Wehiwa Aloy, Aiva Arquette, Roch Cholowsky, and Justin Lebron is certainly always a good thing.

Shortly after his nomination, Jimenez, along with Mets’ 2025 first-round pick Mitch Voit, appeared in MLB Draft’s Combine, a relatively new mid-season event where players can impress scouts and clubs can gather additional data on eligible draftees.

After a brief stint with the Low-A St.Lucie Mets to conclude his 2025 season, Jimenez and Voit were selected to start the 2026 season with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Despite their brief time in the Mets’ system, both have impressed Cyclones’ manager Eduardo Nunez early on; the skipper called them both hard workers during the campaign’s opening series.

Nunez confirmed that Jimenez is expected to play in a multi-positional capacity throughout the year.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Antonio about the draft process, his journey to get to professional baseball, and the insights he’s gained from his time in the Mets’ organization.

MMO: Talk to me a little bit about the draft process. You were selected [in the third round] last year. Did you know the Mets were interested in you? What was that process like?

Jimenez: A lot has changed in the last year. After my freshman year, I was able to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League and started getting attention from scouts. I was blessed enough to be able to do well there. I joined the transport portal and headed to UCF. There, I learned how to play the actual game of baseball. I improved my approach and learned skills like baserunning.

As my season went on, I was blessed enough to continue to get opportunities to do well.

After the season ended, I got invited to the MLB Draft Combine. I met with the Mets, and they seemed pretty interested. I’m super thankful for where I’m at today.

MMO: What is the biggest difference between collegiate, summer, and professional ball?

J: Wherever you go, I think the game is very similar. In professional ball, people have sharper command. They know where to place the ball a little bit better. They throw a tad bit harder. They sink it a little bit better. Everyone here has a superpower, and you figure out what their superpower is.

It’s just staying within yourself and understanding what type of player you are. I’m just really taking it one day at a time. Collegiate ball really helped me, as I was able to play against the best of the best. Here, I think it’s more of a daily grind. Mentally, it’s just an everyday thing.

In college, we played on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and sometimes on Wednesday. So, you have a few days to relax your body, but here it’s every single day. You’ve got to bring it and make adjustments, because you’re not going to feel the same everyday.

MMO: What would you say your superpower is?

J: Impacting the ball. Awareness of the strike zone. Can throw the ball well. Can defend well. Can steal bases. I’m just trying to stick within the strike zone, get into the heart of the plate, not trying to chase anything.

MMO: Well, what would you say your goals for the upcoming year are?

J: Just staying healthy and staying consistent in all aspects of my life. I’m just continuing to make faith my foundation in my everyday life. I think it is a huge step for me.

It just allows me to free up and play the game well. If I can free up and play the game the way I can, I think all the numbers are gonna come along. If you really focus on the skills, instead of the result, it’s gonna put you in a lot better place, every single time.

MMO: What parts of your game have you focused the most on since turning pro, and how have the Mets been helping you in that regard?

They’ve been helping me with little mechanical adjustments. I’m able to get in the zone early, to stay through it longer, and to hit the offspeed a little bit better.

I’m doing a lot better job just being more comfortable this year. I’m trying to hit the offspeed better by trying to understand where my swing needs to start.

I’m also trying to stay cognizant when men are on base. I want to stay on the heater so I can stay in my tunnels longer. Since my bat is in the zone a lot longer, I want to back up on the fastball and stay along with the breaking balls.

MMO: You talk about some of the mechanical changes you made at the plate? Has that been a result of the Mets’ hitting lab at St. Lucie, or has it been something else? Alternatively, are your adjustments more of a feel thing?

J: Oh, my goodness. I love the Mets’ hitting facility. They have a lab [in Port St.Lucie], and I remember we got marked up [with nodes that track biomechanics], and it just changed my whole perspective on how my body actually moves. They helped me understand where my bat is starting in the zone.

They helped me a ton through different thoughts and drills, but they kept me the same player. They just made very minor adjustments. They have every resource possible to let you know, hey, this is where you’re at, and this is where you be.

They do a really good job of not just telling me things, not just to tell me things, but to actually show me with evidence. They work with a purpose and a plan, and it’s been helping me a ton. I’m super grateful.

MMO: What would you say the most tangible thing was that you took away from your time at the Mets hitting lab? How long did it take for the change to take effect?

J: Oh my gosh. My front shoulder stopped dipping and was moved into a better angle so I could fire them better. We worked a lot with pitches up in the zone and getting behind the ball. I feel like if I can control the top of the zone, I can control the lower half of the zone, which I consider my strength.

MMO: I noticed you’re a guy who likes to have a lot of fun. You like to celebrate. Why is that so important to you?

J: I think just playing the game itself, like people see themselves doing a job. But I try to look at this game like it hasn’t changed. I’d love to do this every single day.

I want to go out there and just have fun and be crazy. I like to have pretty good energy because I think if you bring positive vibrations out into the world, you’re most likely going to get it back.

I’m just trying to get as much momentum as I can in the dugout, no matter the situation. If we’re up ten, if we’re down ten, I want the same energy.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. Full interview can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/matt-mancuso-139191659/antonio-jimenez-interview

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