Following a meteoric rise and an injury-plagued subsequent season, the New York Mets are surely looking for outfielder Brandon Nimmo to be a valuable contributor to their 2020 squad.
As things stand heading into this week’s Winter Meetings in San Diego, the Mets’ depth chart has Nimmo, 26, penciled into the top spot in center field. Whether or not he remains in that position once Opening Day rolls around is to be determined (in short order, hopefully).
General manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s addition of Jake Marisnick earlier this week certainly adds some much-needed, glove-capable depth to the Mets defensively-deficient outfield.
The current corps of Nimmo, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Dominic Smith, Marisnick, and, hopefully, Yoenis Cespedes could theoretically get the job done defensively if Carlos Beltran‘s Mets make a stronger commitment to positioning and route-taking in the outfield grass. That’s another article, altogether.
Questions regarding Nimmo’s capabilities up the middle are moderately valid (-7 DRS, -9.9 UZR/150 in 719.1 career CF innings; -8 DRS, -2.3 UZR/150 over 2,052 OF innings), but there’s much more to his game than his glove.
Nimmo’s true value resides at the plate — specifically in his ability to get on base and keep the Mets’ proverbial train moving. When he’s healthy, Brandon Nimmo does just that — in spades.
Since the start of 2017, his .391 on-base percentage ranks ninth among all qualified MLB hitters and his 133 wRC+ is good for 24th (tied with Anthony Rizzo, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Joey Votto) among the same group.
During his breakout 2018 campaign, Nimmo’s 4.5 wins above replacement (FanGraphs) ranked 13th among qualified National League hitters and third among NL outfielders (Christian Yelich, 7.6 fWAR, and Lorenzo Cain, 5.7, led the way).
Last season was virtually a wash for the 26-year-old. Following a slow start (2-for-26, five walks), Nimmo kicked himself into gear through the end of April (18-for-60, .300/.417/.517).
On April 14 — over a month before he hit the injured list (May 21) — Nimmo crashed into the outfield wall in Atlanta. After initially being diagnosed as soreness, the extent of his injuries proved to be a bit more serious (bulging cervical disc, whiplash).
So, for approximately two weeks following a serious injury, Nimmo produced like the player we saw in 2018 before finally falling victim to his afflictions in May (.136/.304/.205, 56 PA). Now that’s amazin’.
Following multiple rehab stints, Nimmo finally made his return to the Mets on September 1, and over that final month, he began to resemble that familiar catalyst once again.
His .261/.430/.565 slash line (four doubles, a triple, five homers, 15 RBIs) over 93 plate appearances in September was promising His .409 wOBA, 159 wRC+, and 1.0 fWAR — all second-best among qualified MLB hitters during that span — were overwhelmingly reassuring.
Brandon Nimmo’s strong finish in 2019 certainly shines a hopeful light on his prospects at the plate in 2020. Let’s hope Brodie makes the applicable upgrades around him to put these Metsies over the top.
