Brandon Nimmo
Age: 27 (will turn 28 on 3/27), B/T: L/R
Primary Stats: 55 G, 225 PA, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 33 BB, 43 SO, .280 BA, .404 OBP, .484 SLG, .888 OPS
Advanced Stats: .326 BABIP, .387 wOBA, 148 wRC+, 146 OPS+, 1.5 fWAR, 1.6 bWAR, -2.0 DRS (combined OF positions), -13.1 UZR/150 (combined OF positions)
Arbitration Eligible: 2020
Free Agent: 2023
2020 Salary: $2,175,000
Grade: A-
2020 Review
Nimmo had another solid offensive year in 2020, posting very good numbers across all key offensive metrics. His .404 OBP tied his career best from 2018. His OPS of .888 was the highest of his career, and his OPS+ of 146 was just under his career high of 148 in 2018. Nimmo also had a career-high BA of .280, and his eight home runs project to roughly 22 over a full season, which also would be a career high.
Strikeouts have been a thorn in Nimmo’s side throughout his young career; his 43 strikeouts in the abbreviated 2020 season project to approximately 116 over a full season, which would be an improvement over his 140 strikeouts in 2018, his only full-length season. Nimmo’s 33 bases on balls in 2020 project to 89 over a full season, and that again would be a career high (he had 80 in 2018).
Nimmo’s overall performance in 2020 is taken down a bit by his defensive metrics. Nimmo is not a natural center fielder, but due to the Mets’ roster construction, he played quite a bit of center field in 2020, logging 308.1 innings in center, versus 85 innings in left field and 36 innings in right field.
Nimmo’s DRS in center field in 2020 was -5.0. At times he took bad routes to balls, and seemed to struggle on balls on which he had to retreat into one of the gaps. His DRS in left field was 2.0, and his DRS in right field was 1.o in much smaller samples sizes. These numbers are consistent with those of his career, over which he has shown that he is essentially league average defensively in both left and right field, and significantly below league average in center field.
Though Nimmo has played just two full seasons (and one of those was abbreviated), the picture of who he is as a player is fairly clear. Nimmo is a high OBP player, with developing power, and above-average speed. He is adequate defensively when being used in the corner outfield spots. He profiles as a quality leadoff hitter, because of his OBP and speed, and a dependable outfielder when not forced to play center field regularly. He is very valuable to the Mets, and likely has caught the attention of other teams as well.
2021 Outlook
This can best be defined as “undefined.” Nimmo’s 2021 season can take many directions. If the Mets acquire a center fielder, Nimmo can slide over to left field, which is probably the best outcome for both Nimmo and the Mets. If this were to happen, the Mets can keep Nimmo’s high OBP in the lineup. However, the DH in the National League in 2021 is, as of now, unknown. Moving Nimmo to left field could take playing time away from Dominic Smith, if there is no DH in the NL next season.
Another possibility for Nimmo is that he is traded this offseason. The Mets are said to be interested in Francisco Lindor, and speculation is that Nimmo could be in the deal with Cleveland. Also, the Mets have several needs on their roster (catching, pitching, center field among them). While the Mets may fill some needs through free agency, they may not be able to fill all of their needs via that route. Nimmo is a highly attractive trading chip, because he has a couple of years of team control, and his OBP makes him an ideal player under most analytical platforms.
It will be interesting to see what the Mets do with Nimmo this offseason. It’s hard to imagine a deal for Lindor that would not include either Nimmo or Jeff McNeil as the headline player going the other way. The Mets may not have time to wait for outcome of the DH debate, as the hot stove season is already underway and decisions need to be made soon.
The most likely scenario is that Nimmo will not see significant time in center field for the Mets next year. Whether or not he remains in Queens is yet to be seen, though replacing his OBP would be a tall order for the Mets front office if Nimmo is dealt.
