How the Mets’ Outfield is Surviving Without Conforto and Nimmo

Amid an extremely busy offseason, the New York Mets received a ton of credit for acquiring impact players like Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, James McCann, Trevor May and more, but the front office also added some important depth pieces and those moves are certainly paying off so far this season.

With injuries becoming a major concern across the major leagues in 2021, featuring multiple layers of depth has never been more crucial than right now, which has forced all 30 teams to rely on the strength of their 40-man rosters. For the Mets in particular, they’ve been plagued by all sorts of different injuries up to this point ranging from their starting rotation, bullpen, infield and outfield.

While this team has been forced to overcome numerous obstacles since the regular season opened, none has been more challenging than attempting to operate without both Brandon Nimmo (left finger contusion) and Michael Conforto (hamstring strain), who are currently on the injured list and have already missed significant time this season.

Considering Nimmo and Conforto make up for two-thirds of the Mets’ starting outfield, or at least they did, losing both of them for an extended period has understandably taken a major toll on this club over the last month or so. Having said that, these unfortunate injuries have since opened the door for a trio of depth outfielders to showcase their respective talents in regular roles, which has been working out better than probably anyone could’ve expected.

Though none of these players are likely headed to Coors Field next month for the All-Star Game, outfielders Kevin Pillar, Mason Williams and Billy McKinney have still played key roles in helping New York keep its head above water during this recent stretch. It may be difficult to believe, but this organization might not be leading the NL East division if not for the impressive performances from these unsung heroes.

Starting with Pillar, who signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract last winter, most experts criticized the decision to bring him in and weren’t exactly sure how he’d earn regular playing time off the bench. But with Nimmo out of the lineup, the Mets have needed someone to hold things down in center field and the former Toronto Blue Jay has done exactly that.

Despite missing two weeks due to multiple facial fractures that he suffered after being hit in the face with a 94 mph fastball, the 32-year-old was performing fairly well before his injury and hasn’t missed a beat since returning to action, which has undoubtedly provided a major spark to this team’s morale.

Making the most out of this extended opportunity, Pillar has earned 76 plate appearances since taking over the everyday role in center field on May 5, producing three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBIs, a .340 BABIP, a .324 wOBA, a 56.4% FB rate, a 30.9% hard-hit rate, a 110 wRC+ score and a slashing line of .278/.316/.431/.746.

As for his defense, the former 32nd-round selection is long removed from his days of being referred to as “Superman,” but he’s still been able to provide decent results in center field throughout this season. Given his age and the amount of stress his body has taken over the years, it’s hard to complain about the -2 DRS, -2 OAA, -0.7 RngR, 1.1 UZR and 15.3 UZR he’s generated over his 156 2/3 innings.

Similar to Pillar, Williams has also been effective as an injury replacement, although he’s been making a much larger impact with his defense rather than his offense. Taking into account his current slashing line of .250/.318/.400/.718 and his 94 wRC+ score over 22 plate appearances with the Mets, the 29-year-old is currently viewed as an average hitter but is someone who can make up for these offensive shortcomings with his glove.

After earning a promotion to the majors on May 31, the 6′ 1″ outfielder has solely been positioned in center field and has compiled 51.0 innings during that span, recording a 1 DRS, 1 OAA, 0.2 RngR, 0.2 UZR and a 5.3 UZR/150.

Even though Pillar and Williams have helped fill the massive void left by Nimmo and Conforto, neither of those players has been nearly as productive as McKinney, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Pedro Quintana back on May 25. At the time, this acquisition appeared to be a desperate attempt by the front office to provide manager Luis Rojas another healthy body, but now, it’s looking like a steal.

Needing a few games to become acclimated with his new teammates, the 26-year-old got off to a bit of a slow start out of the gate, although he hasn’t encountered any of those same issues since then and has excelled over his brief time in blue pinstripes. While there are some concerns about whether the left-hander can sustain his current production, that certainly doesn’t take away from the brilliance he’s displayed at the plate recently.

Since joining the Mets, McKinney has earned 44 plate appearances through 12 games, creating three doubles, one triple, four home runs, 11 RBIs, a .425 ISO, a .431 wOBA, a 9.1% walk rate, a 22.7% strikeout rate, a 53.3% FB rate, a 43.3% hard-hit rate, a 180 wRC+ score, a 0.5 fWAR rating and a slashing line of .275/.341/.700/1.041.

Comparing these stellar results to the rest of the majors, the former first-round pick has been one of the top hitting outfielders since May 29, as he’s currently tied for the second-most home runs (four), tied for the second-highest ISO (.457), tied for the third-most RBIs (11), owns the sixth-highest SLG (.743) and the 11th-highest wRC+ score (191) among all outfielders who’ve earned at least 20 plate appearances during that span, according to FanGraphs.com.

With Nimmo and Conforto still weeks away from returning to the lineup, it’ll be extremely important for all three of Pillar, Williams and McKinney to continue performing effectively as the season inches closer to the All-Star break. If this trio can accomplish that feat, then the Mets should receive a massive boost whenever their top two outfielders return from the IL.

As for what that’ll mean for these depth outfielders, Williams will likely be optioned back to triple-A Syracuse, where he’ll continue working on his craft in the outfield and also at the dish. For Pillar and McKinney, it could become difficult to provide them with consistent playing time, but there’s no question Rojas will utilize both of them as much as possible down the stretch.

If the Mets have learned anything from these first two and a half months of the season, it’s that having too much depth will never be a terrible problem to have, especially in this era of the game.