Editor’s Note: A day after we posted the following article, reporters asked Sandy Alderson about Nimmo and GKR spent an inning discussing it during last night’s broadcast. Here is the original article.
One of the main issues the Mets have this season is their inability to get on base. While they are 6th in the majors in homeruns, they rank 23rd in OBP.
While I’ve seen fans discussing dozens of ideas to fix this problem, there’s one option that consistently gets overlooked. And that’s calling up 2011 first round pick, Brandon Nimmo.
Contrary to popular opinion, Nimmo is certainly not a bust and his ability to get on base is exactly what the team needs right now.
In 222 plate appearances with Triple-A this season, Nimmo is batting .330 with five home runs and an outstanding .405 OBP. The Wyoming native is also incredibly hot at the moment as he’s batting .462 with four homeruns and a .500 OBP in his last nine games including a two-homer game.
Even though Las Vegas is notoriously a hitting friendly environment, there’s nothing to suggest his on-base percentage is a fluke. During his five years in the minors, Nimmo’s career OBP is .384.
His power may not have developed like many had hoped back in 2011, but he knows how to get on base and does it extremely well – better than anyone else in the system over the last three seasons.
Adding a player with this unique skill set at the top of the batting order would not only give Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker more RBI opportunities, but it will also add another dimension to the lineup. The Mets rely heavily on power, but Nimmo would provide them with some speed and as well as a premium table setter.
The biggest challenge would be finding Nimmo a spot to play as Cespedes, Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto currently occupy starting roles.
But since the start of May, Conforto is batting .153 with a .529 OPS. If he continues to struggle, the Mets should at least start to think about having Nimmo take over.
This would allow Conforto some time off to fix his issues, and give Nimmo a chance to prove himself in the MLB. After toiling five years in the minors, perhaps it’s time to see what this former first rounder can do.
Given the team’s crowded outfield, maybe now is not the best time to make the move. But it’s one possibility the Mets have to consider and he’s already on the 40-man roster.
Nimmo is still only 23 years old, and he is quietly in the midst of an excellent season in Triple-A. With all this talk of trading for a bat, perhaps the Mets already have an ideal option to turn to – a potential solution in search of an opportunity.
