Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets spent this week on the road as they split a two-game set with the Washington Nationals before dropping two of three to the Minnesota Twins. The Mets garnered admirable performances from a pair of their veterans along the way as Brandon Nimmo and José Quintana positioned themselves for strong finishes to their seasons.
Hitter of the Week
Brandon Nimmo has adapted more of a power approach over the course of this season, and it manifested itself more so than ever this week.
Nimmo opened the week on Tuesday with a 3-for-5 and two-RBI performance against Washington that was highlighted by two solo home runs with one coming in the fifth inning off Patrick Corbin and the other against Amos Willingham in the ninth. He followed that up by going 1-for-5 on Wednesday with a double before taking a 0-for in Friday night’s game in Minnesota.
Nimmo finished Saturday’s game with a 1-for-5 stat line, but that one hit was his third solo shot of the week as he took Kenta Maeda deep to open the game. His week concluded with a 1-for-4 performance in Sunday’s win.
Nimmo recorded a .261/.261/.696 slash line this week with three home runs and three RBIs in 25 plate appearances.
Pitcher of the Week
It’s not hyperbole to suggest that the 2023 season could have gone in a different direction had José Quintana been in the starting rotation all year.
Quintana has been nails since returning from injury in July and fulfilled the expectations placed on him after signing a two-year, $26 million deal in the offseason. It was more of the same in Tuesday’s contest against the Nationals in which he worked seven innings for the first time this season.
Quintana allowed his only run of the game in the first inning and settled into a groove from there, allowing only two hits and one walk over the next six innings. He finished the day with four strikeouts and earned his second win of the season in the process.
