In an interview for MLB.com, Mets prospect Brandon Nimmo discusses the ups and downs of his 2015 season. For the third year in a row, injuries impacted his ability to have that truly breakthrough season everyone has been waiting for. He also discusses how he had to mentally adapt after his promotion from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Las Vegas, and he explains how his addition to the 40 man roster will motivate him to prove himself in 2016.
“It definitely fueled this offseason because you really just get an investment from them,” Nimmo said. “It’s like, ‘We know that we want you to be part of our future.’ So it definitely fuels that fire to work as hard as you can to become a part of that future.”
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Nimmo, 22, batted .269/.362/.372 in 434 plate appearances for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2015. He totaled just five home runs and 16 doubles for the year and .734 OPS was the lowest of his professional career.
Last month, prospect expert John Sickels of Minor League Ball wrote that Nimmo was beginning to look more like a platoon player despite his ability to get on base. He points out that Nimmo has struggled mightily against lefties and also has failed to exhibit any of the power that scouts had initially projected for him. Nimmo has just a .391 slugging percentage over his five minor league seasons.
Still, this might be the year where Nimmo finally puts it all together, especially if he could avoid the nagging injuries that have plagued him the past few years. He will get to play a full season in an extremely favorable hitting environment in Las Vegas. Coupled with his great eye and sound approach at the plate, 2016 could be his breakthrough season.
