Vinny asks…
I keep reading conflicting reports about Brandon Nimmo and whether he begins the season at Binghamton or at Las Vegas. Which is it? Do you think he could make his MLB debut in 2015 or is that a stretch? Which players does he compare to and do you think he’ll be a 30 homer guy? Love the site and keep up the great work.
Joe D. replies…
I’ve heard those same conflicting reports as to where Nimmo will begin the season, but in an interview with MMO ‘s John Bernhardt, general manager Sandy Alderson projected that he would open 2015 manning center field at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Sandy also told us that Nimmo began to show flashes of the power he was projected to have when the Mets selected him with their top pick in 2011.
“He has grown physically very impressively over the last couple of years through offseason workouts. He has an approach that’s very consistent with what we try to promote, which is selectivity at the plate. Being aggressive with good judgment, I guess, is how we look at it — getting a good pitch to hit. If anything, at Binghamton, I think he began to demonstrate a little more power, which we think he has. There may be a little trade-off between his discipline at the plate and his ability to turn on the ball, but I think that’s something that’s coming. He’s a very committed guy.”
I’ve never been very good with player comparisons, but just last week, one scout compared Nimmo to Christian Yelich and Nick Markakis.
Last season, Nimmo batted .278/.394/.426 with 21 doubles, 9 triples, 10 home runs, 97 runs scored, and 51 RBI in 127 games split between Double-A Binghamton and High-A St.Lucie.
I don’t see Nimmo as a 30 homer guy, but more of a high on-base player who will bat around .285 with 18-20 homers per season along with 30-40 doubles. I have no doubt that he will become a valuable run producer and middle of the order hitter.
Is there a chance he can make his major league debut this season? Sure, why not. I don’t think a September call-up is out of the question – especially if he tears the PCL apart. But if he doesn’t, don’t worry, he’s only 22.
There are many of us on MMO who believe that Nimmo is going to have a huge breakthrough season in 2015 and that this is the year he starts flashing more power.
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