There have been very few bright spots in recent memory in regards to the Mets. The two that come to mind are the starting rotation and Brandon Nimmo. To say Brandon Nimmo is a silver lining doesn’t work because his smile lights up the entire cloud.

The 25-year-old has been phenomenal for the Mets this season, hitting .274/.402/.565 with 10 home runs and 18 RBIs. He has been a pleasant surprise to say the least, but the best thing about his breakout season has been his clutch hitting. The most recent example was Sunday afternoon against the Diamondbacks.

With his team down by a run in the 9th inning with two outs, he cracked a long home run over the right field fence to give the Mets the lead.

“When I came up to bat, I was just looking to put the barrel on the ball,” Nimmo said after the game. “He’s on second base, a base hit ties it. For me personally, for this team, I’ve been trying to do a little too much lately, so there I was just trying to get the barrel on the ball.”

The biggest surprise has been the 10 home runs off Nimmo’s bat this season. He’s hit 10 in 204 plate appearances this season, while in 2016 and 2017, he hit just six homers in 295 plate appearances.

“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run there,” Nimmo said. “But I know now with my swing, if I get it on the barrel and the launch angle is right, it’ll go.”

Even including a slump, in Brandon’s last 24 games, he is hitting .300 with eight home runs, 13 RBIs, and a 1.116 OPS. Not only has his power exploded, but his home runs have been at times when the Mets really needed it. Seven of his 10 home runs this year have tied the game or given the Mets the lead. In honor of his game-winning 10th home run of the season, we’re going to look at his dingers one-by-one.

#1 – April 15th vs. Brewers

Exit Velocity: 104 MPH
Launch Angle: 26°
Distance: 356 ft.
Pitch: Slider – 82.7 mph

Nimmo’s first home run on the season would be the only one he’s hit off a breaking ball so far in 2018. Part of a 3-for-5 day in which he was a double away from the cycle, his solo home run came on a 1-2 pitch in the bottom of the 6th inning against Taylor Williams. It tied the game at two a-piece, and the Mets would eventually win 3-2.

#2 – May 16th vs. Blue Jays

Exit Velocity: 101 MPH
Launch Angle: 26°
Distance: 364 ft.
Pitch: Four-Seam Fastball – 91.4 mph

The next home run didn’t come for more than a month, due in part to limited playing time. This home run, however, didn’t amount to much as the Mets would lose 12-1. He pinch-hit it in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, and on a 2-2 count against Danny Barnes, he prevented the Mets from getting shut out.

#3 – May 23rd vs. Marlins

Exit Velocity: 105 MPH
Launch Angle: 25°
Distance: 410 ft.
Pitch: Four-Seam Fastball – 90.5 mph

With one out in the bottom of the 5th inning, the Mets had been shut out by Dan Straily. That changed when Nimmo socked a home run to right field on a 2-2 count, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Overall on the day, he went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Unfortunately, that would be all the Mets could muster as they lost to the Marlins 2-1. Jacob deGrom went seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and two walks, striking out eight. This was another of his superb starts blown by the bullpen, this time by Jeurys Familia, who allowed two runs in the top of the 9th inning.

#4 – May 26th vs. Brewers

Exit Velocity: 103 MPH
Launch Angle: 41°
Distance: 356 ft.
Pitch: Two-Seam Fastball – 90.3 mph

Tied 3-3 in the top of the 2nd inning, Nimmo jumped on the first pitch from Chase Anderson, crushing a solo home run to give the Mets a 4-3 lead against the Brewers. He finished 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored as the Mets scored six runs overall. That was not nearly enough, however, as they lost 17-6 to the Brew Crew.

#5 – May 28th vs. Braves

Exit Velocity: 107 MPH
Launch Angle: 24°
Distance: 435 ft.
Pitch: Sinker – 93.5 mph

After losing 4-3 in the first half of a double-header, the Mets needed a win against their division rival Atlanta Braves. Nimmo had only one hit in five at-bats on the day but he made it count, hitting a solo home run off the first pitch he saw from Brandon McCarthy in the 3rd inning – The longest home run of the season so far. The Mets would win 8-5 thanks to a three-RBI day from Amed Rosario and two RBIs from Luis Guillorme.

#6 – May 31st vs. Cubs

Exit Velocity: 106 MPH
Launch Angle: 20°
Distance: 409 ft.
Pitch: Four-Seam Fastball – 93.1 mph

Nimmo went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in this game, but that would be just about all the Mets could muster as they lost 5-1 to Jose Quintana and the Cubs. His solo home run came in the bottom of the 8th inning on a 2-2 count against Brian Duensing.

#7 – June 1st vs. Cubs

Exit Velocity: 101 MPH
Launch Angle: 32°
Distance: 373 ft.
Pitch: Two-Seam Fastball – 94.3 mph

The first time Nimmo had homered on back-to-back games, this dinger would have a little more impact than the one a day prior. Tied 0-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Nimmo turned around an 0-2 pitch from Tyler Chatwood and catapulted it over left-center field fence. This would be the first home run of his season that was not a solo shot, as Rosario was on base ahead of him. It gave the Mets a 2-0 lead, and while Nimmo went 2-for-4 with a walk, the Mets would lose 7-4 thanks to a Paul Sewald implosion.

#8 – June 8th vs. Yankees

Exit Velocity: 106 MPH
Launch Angle: 32°
Distance: 397 ft.
Pitch: Four-Seam Fastball – 91.0 mph

The first leadoff home run of Nimmo’s career set a tone in the first game of the Subway Series. The second pitch he saw from Masahiro Tanaka was sent over the right field fence to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead. With Jacob deGrom on the mound, one might think that would have been enough. Unfortunately, it was not, as the Mets would not give Jake any more run support and they would lose 4-1. DeGrom went 8.0 innings, allowing just three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks, striking out eight.

#9 – June 14th vs. Diamondbacks

Exit Velocity: 97 MPH
Launch Angle: 35°
Distance: 395 ft.
Pitch: Four-Seam Fastball – 92.8 mph

Moved down to the third spot in the order, this was Nimmo’s second-straight first inning home run. He gave the Mets a 1-0 lead off the 1-1 pitch from former Mets farm hand Matt Koch. The Mets hit three solo home runs that day, the others by Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario, which would not be enough against the Diamondbacks who beat them 6-3.

#10 – June 17th vs. Diamondbacks

Exit Velocity: 106 MPH
Launch Angle: 28°
Distance: 419 ft.
Pitch: Changeup – 81.9 mph

By far the biggest home run of the season, this one helped deliver a Mets win against Brad Boxberger. With Asdrubal Cabrera hitting a solo shot to make it back-to-back taters, the Mets would beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 for their second straight win. This is only the second home run he’s hit off a pitch other than a fastball (or sinker) in 2018.

**Thank you Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker on Twitter) for the information regarding the exit velocity, launch angle, distance, and offering of each home run.