Brandon Nimmo, OF
Player Data: Age: 26; B/T: L/R
Primary Stats: 69 G (254 PA) .221/.375/.407, 11 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 71 K, 46 BB
Advanced Stats: 114 wRC+, 1.9 BsR, .340 wOBA, 28.0 K%, 18.1 BB%, .293 BABIP, 1.3 fWAR, 0.9 bWAR
Defensive Stats: 3 OAA, -1 DRS/-0.8 UZR in LF, -2 DRS/-1.5 UZR in CF, 2 DRS/1.3 UZR in RF
Free Agent: 2022
2019 Salary: $598,285
Grade: C
2019 Review
Most of the 2019 season was a disaster for Brandon Nimmo. He followed his breakout 2018 campaign with a 2-for-26 start to the 2019 season. It looked as if he was beginning to rebound from his slow start, but then the month of May saw Nimmo hit just .136 before being placed on the injured list on May 21 with neck stiffness.
It was later revealed that he had a bulging disk in his neck and would be out of commission for a substantial amount of time. At this point, Nimmo was batting just .200 with a .323 slugging percentage to go along with just three home runs and 14 RBIs. His strikeouts were up as well; Nimmo whiffed 48 times through his first 43 games of 2019, while in 2018 he struck out 30 times through his first 43 games. The lone bright spot was that he still managed to keep his on-base percentage at a respectable .344 mark.
Nimmo returned on September 1 with the Mets in the thick of a playoff race. Although there was ultimately no postseason baseball in Queens, it was no fault of Nimmo’s who ended his otherwise horrific 2019 season with a very solid September. He slashed .261/.430/.565 in his last 26 games to go along with five home runs, 15 RBIs and 20 walks.
He played respectable defense in center and left field, while being above average in right field. Despite playing only 69 games, Nimmo’s strong finish had him post a 1.3 fWAR.
2020 Outlook
It goes without saying, but the biggest key for Nimmo to have a bounce back 2020 campaign is to stay on the field. Obviously, it would also be nice if Nimmo avoids a slow start like the one he endured in 2019. But even during that rough stretch Nimmo kept his on-base percentage at a productive mark. So long as he keeps finding ways to get on base, Nimmo will continue to be a key part of the offense in 2020.
With the addition of defensive-minded center fielder Jake Marisnick, we will potentially see Nimmo sit against left-handers (Nimmo does have 119 career wRC+ against lefties). Although not a defensive standout at any of the outfield positions, Nimmo has experience in all three spots and has shown that he can handle the outfield regardless of where he is placed.
With the Mets other outfield options heading into 2020 being Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith and Yoenis Cespedes, the depth chart is strong.
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was at a very rainy Citi Field on July 1, 2016 and got to see Nimmo, then a rookie, hit his first major league home run and make a great diving catch in right field against the eventual World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Since then Nimmo has shown flashes of his All-Star potential, most notably his very solid 2018 season. Although he had to work through a slow start and injury that kept him off the field for more than three months, it was great to see him make the most of 2019 by playing very well down the stretch.
So long as he stays on the field, there is every reason to believe that Nimmo, who will be one day away from his 27th birthday come Opening Day, has his best days ahead of him. You’ll know things are going well for him if you see that big, Wyoming smile across his face. Of course, he’ll likely have it either way.
