ATLANTA – UCF shortstop Antonio Jimenez was selected in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the New York Mets on Sunday night.
Jimenez, who played his sophomore season for the Black and Gold in 2025, was taken as the 102nd pick of the draft. The slick-fielding shortstop becomes the ninth highest picked and the 127th player overall drafted in program history. He also becomes the sixth Knight selected in the third round and the seventh by the Mets.
Jimenez earned second team All-Big 12 Conference honors in 2025 after having a solid sophomore year in Orlando in which he batted .329 with 11 home runs, 14 doubles, two triples, 55 runs scored and 51 runs batted in. He also stole 11 bags, walked 25 times, recorded a .407 on-base percentage and a .575 slugging clip. He finished second on the team in several categories—home runs, runs, RBIs and extra-base hits with 25.
A native of Davie, Florida, Jimenez also played stellar defense all season long, as he finished the year with 71 putouts, 124 assists and a .961 fielding percentage while starting all 55 games at shortstop. He also helped UCF turn 52 double plays on the year to rank ninth nationally in that category. Jimenez was also named to the 2025 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List in April, an award that recognizes the nation’s top shortstop.
Jimenez started his college career at Miami. During his freshman campaign in Coral Gables, he slashed .182/.300/.313 with nine extra-base hits, 20 runs scored and 12 runs batted in. He also recorded 80 infield assists and 46 putouts over 45 games and 31 starts on the year.
Jimenez prepped at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the Mavericks.
