‘Reim’ Time: Jacob Reimer Ready Keep Climbing in 2024

Jacob Reimer’s inaugural full season in professional baseball was a fruitful one. The 20-year-old finished among the leaders in the New York Mets’ organization in on-base percentage (6^th, .399), walks (T-6^th, 62), runs scored (T-7^th; 63), and batting average (9^th, .265).

However, Reimer has refused to rest on his laurels going into his second off-season. The Yucaipa, Calif. native’s winter was marked by significant growth, largely attributed to his time at Driveline Baseball in Arizona, a facility renowned for its pioneering approach to the game.

"Just worked on the swing a lot,” Reimer expressed, highlighting the intensive focus on refining his batting technique. “Just bat speed, posture, stuff like that. It was awesome to really learn my swing this offseason.”

The changes Reimer made were not merely physical; they represented a philosophical shift in his approach to hitting. "I really started to not fight myself, find some freedom in my swing," the former fourth-round pick said. “Just through posture reasons, and that has upped my bat speed and let me turn quicker, I should say, and pull the ball a little better.”

Returning to Port St. Lucie at the turn of the new year, Reimer noted the changes within the Mets’ organization, including new management.

"I’d say just the culture," Reimer remarked about the differences he's observed this spring. “I haven’t really spoken too much with [new front office members], but you can tell the culture is different…Just baseball guys and that’s all you can ask for in the locker room. Guys you can go to and ask baseball questions, but they’re also in with the new wave of baseball with the analytics side. They’re smart guys.”

Reimer will have a chance to reunite on Coney Island with some familiar faces on the bench to start the season. In addition to returning Cyclones bench coach John Vaughn, the 20-year-old worked with four new additions to the staff, including manager Gilbert Gómez at Single-A St. Lucie in 2023.

“They really taught us what it’s like to be a pro,” said Reimer about the new Brooklyn coaching staff. “I told them right when I was leaving for Brooklyn [in August] that I was just blessed to have them as my first coaching staff in professional baseball, so it’s going to be good, it’s pretty cool being back with them here.”

Jacob Reimer is doing more damage to the Jersey Shore than a pork roll shortage.

This two-run HR gives him three RBI today and puts the 'Clones in front 5-2 in the 6th inning.#AmazinStartsHere #LGM pic.twitter.com/s25wS3hoO4

— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) August 2, 2023

Despite the individual highlights of his 2023 season, including a four-hit night at Maimonides Park in August, Reimer is driven by a team-centric perspective. Most notably, the sting of missing the postseason on the final day of the previous campaign still resonates.

“Absolutely, yeah,” said Reimer about using the end-of-season disappointment as a motivator. “But you don’t want to use the motivation of failure all the time, because you’re going to have success and you’re going to need to stay motivated when you have that too.”

Even with the sour close to the season, the Yucaipa High School alum is titillated by the prospect of returning to the sights and sounds of Coney Island in 2024.

“I didn’t realize how cool New York would be to live in,” said the West Coast resident. “Coney Island is probably the most unique place in America, and you got to say the same for Minor League ballparks…that was probably the best crowd experience in Minor League Baseball for sure.”

While he wants to keep his goals close to the vest entering his second full season in the organization, Reimer looks at them daily, a useful tool inspired by his father.

“I have short-term goals and then the long-term goals for the season,” said Reimer. “You got to keep your feet where they are that day. You can’t be looking too far ahead. They’re through my dad, for sure. It’ll keep your mind on it and the mind is a powerful thing.”