6
2011
New York Mets Select Brandon Nimmo with Their First Pick in the 2011 MLB Draft
An article by 
Sandy Alderson has made his first pick as general manager of the New York Mets. With the 13th overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, the Mets have selected Brandon Nimmo, and outfielder from Wyoming. Nimmo did not play high school baseball because there is no high school baseball league in Wyoming. He only played American Legion ball.
This pick is certainly a reach as Nimmo was ranked as the 35th best player available in this year’s draft by Baseball America. Nimmo had some great workouts, but this is a huge, huge risk.
Analysts on the MLB Network gave Andy Van Slyke as the best MLB comparison for Nimmo. Van Slyke was a career .274 hitter with 164 home runs and 245 stolen bases in his 13 year career. If Nimmo turns out to be like this, he will certainly be a disappointment.
The pick is likely not the one that Mets fans wanted. With all of the struggles the Mets rotation has faced this year and pitchers such as Jed Bradley and Sonny Gray still on the big board, the Mets likely should have gone after a pitcher.
Nimmo’s selection also may speak wonders to the Mets financial situation. The team’s money problems have been glaring and Nimmo, who has a scholarship to the University of Arkansas, will likely be cheaper to sign than some of the other players who were available at the 13th pick.
Given the team’s financial situation, it was believed that the New York Mets would need to build for the future with the MLB Draft. However, with the surprising pick of Brandon Nimmo, it is not certain what direction the Mets are headed.
About the Author: Robert Knapel
Robert is from New Jersey. He is currently pursuing Bachelors degrees in both Finance and International Business at Washington University in St. Louis. He has been a Mets fan for as long as he can remember. Robert also serves as an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 25 | 18 | .581 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 21 | .523 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 23 | .477 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 24 | .415 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 12 | 32 | .273 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/19/2013
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TERRIBLE PICK!!!
THIS WAS A REACH!!!!!
They took him because he wont get a big bonus and they lied about disregarding slotting!!!
He never even played high school baseball, he was drafted based on his appearance in one exhibition game!!
That is just completely false…kids out of high school with commitments to college command higher dollars than others because they need to be enticed to not go to college. Thats what “overslotting” is.
Arkansas wanted him and they produce good players. The lack of HS ball may be a problem early on, but he must have a lot of upside.
Andy Van Slyke? Do you seriously think an average #13 pick comes anything close to Van Slyke’s career?
Boy, are you seriously misinformed. Brad is totally right; high school players have the leverage of going to college for a few years (a la Gerrit Cole) to drive up the amount it will take them to sign. But even worse is your suggestion that if he turned out to be “only” as good as Andy Van Slyke this pick would be a failure. Do you have any idea how much of a crapshoot the MLB draft is? And Van Slyke was a damn good player for some outstanding Pirates teams.
Your absolutely correct that high school players have leverage. However, Nimmo was ranked as the 35th best prospect in the draft, he will get likely get a deal similar to the one that Chris Sale, last year’s 13th overall pick last season, received.
With a protected top 15 pick, the Mets should be going for the best player available. They should be looking for a game changing talent. Van Slyke obviously was a good player, but that’s it. There were players that had much more potential. When you have the opportunity to take a great talent, you need to do it, and the Mets missed out on some great talents here.
Flame.
and Cardinal teams
High School picks take more money. Nimmo will likely cost $3 mil.
Not my pick, but I’m surprisingly okay with it. He’s going to take a while anyway.
This was not, absolutely not, a “cheap pick.” Nimmo wrote a letter to all MLB clubs last week saying he wouldn’t sign for less than $3 million. If anything, it may be an attempt to prove the team is still capable of spending.
So many players write letters like that. They are obviously trying to gain as much leverage as they can in contract negotiations. As to whether or not they actually receive that money is a whole nother story.
I guess in queens pitching no longer wins championships
if you think a 13 year big league career (like van slyke) is weak for any drafted player, then i weep for this site.
What I had meant by that comment is that for the #13 overall pick, a player who would turn into Van Slyke is not the best option. Obviously the MLB draft, more than any other pro draft is a crapshoot. That is why so many teams go with the “best player available approach”. The Mets certainly did not follow that here.
There were guys with much more potential. Nimmo wasn’t even the best high school outfielder. They should have gone for Bell in that case.
“If Nimmo turns out to be like this, he will certainly be a disappointment.”
andy van slyke: 4 time all star, two time silver slugger, 5 gold gloves.
Don’t put too much stock in the Van Slyke comment. Prospects get compared to everyone. Just do a search and you’ll see.
Andy Van Slyke? The kid looks like a toothpick, no body mass or muscle. Like Agee said, Jason Tyner is more like it. We’ll all find out in 2016.
This was not a surprise to anyone familiar with the Mets. It has been out there for the past two months. 2nd he is going to be pricey regardless of the Mets financial situation. High school baseball is overrated, the 20-game season is watered down. Play eighty games against the best teams in the Northwest, then tell me high school baseball is essential.
Here’s a long article on Nimmo if anyone’s interested.
http://trib.com/sports/article_0741e52c-58fd-570e-963c-6281c3a6d16d.html
The more I read the more I want to vomit.
If this kid sticks to his $3mil demands, we will never sign him. We’ll most likey trade off the rights to him for a bag of balls.
you wrote: “Analysts on the MLB Network gave Andy Van Slyke as the best MLB comparison for Nimmo. Van Slyke was a career .274 hitter with 164 home runs and 245 stolen bases in his 13 year career. If Nimmo turns out to be like this, he will certainly be a disappointment.”
If this guy turns out to be a clone of Van Slyke I will get on my knees and Thankd God. You may be too young to remember but Andy was a gamer!