Joe Jimenez always understood the rules.
The Detroit Tigers gave him the code to unlocking his long-term success when signing him from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in June 2013. That year, he debuted for the Gulf Coast League Tigers — posting a 0.50 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings.
"They always told me if I want to be in the big leagues, I have to throw strikes," Jimenez said in 2016, as Double-A Erie's closer. "And that’s what I’m doing right now."
He accomplished the request in the minor leagues with a 1.