SI

The Mets’ New Secret Weapon Is Literally a Sledgehammer

It’s apparently hammer time for Brandon Nimmo and the Mets.

Tyler Lauletta

Brandon Nimmo warms up with a sledgehammer.
Brandon Nimmo warms up with a sledgehammer. / @SNYtv / X
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Move over torpedo bats, there’s a new hot trend in the baseball world.

Well, maybe not a trend yet, but it’s certainly got our attention: The New York Mets are using a sledgehammer to warm up while in the on-deck circle.

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo could be seen with the team’s hammer while getting ready to hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Per the Mets broadcast, the sledgehammer was a thing that Mets slugger Pete Alonso had been playing with all the way back since spring training. Over the weekend, he and Nimmo apparently had a “there’s nothing in the rulebook that says we can’t” moment, and decided it was time to take it onto the field.

Part of me wants to say that the sledgehammer bit feels a bit performative, like when a college football team warms up shirtless before a snow game to show that they are tough or something.

But on the other hand, swinging a sledgehammer is, undeniably, a cool look. We’ll see how the bit develops over time.

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Tyler Lauletta
TYLER LAULETTA

Tyler Lauletta is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News Team/team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI, he covered sports for nearly a decade at Business Insider, and helped design and launch the OffBall newsletter. He is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, and remains an Eagles and Phillies sicko. When not watching or blogging about sports, Tyler can be found scratching his dog behind the ears.

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