New York Mets Should Extend Brandon Nimmo
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Now in his seventh big league season, it’s safe to say Mets’ outfielder Brandon Nimmo is the real deal.
The 29-year-old currently leads the team in fWAR (1.8), which is also tied for No. 11 in all of baseball.
So, what makes Nimmo so good? Well, just about everything. Take a look at his Baseball Savant page below:
Nimmo is as well-rounded as they come, and when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best players in the game.
Of course, having to remark “when he’s healthy” is important in this case.
Nimmo has played 100+ games just once in his career, way back in 2018, the year he burst on the scene.
In 140 games that year, the outfielder had 4.8 fWAR. Since then, he has performed when he’s been on the field, but his career has been dampened by the injury bug.
The Wyoming native will look to reverse the curse this season, and so far, he has succeeded. Nimmo has appeared in 35 of the team’s first 40 games and the one’s he has missed were due to a stiff neck to begin the season and a bout with COVID-19.
An impending free agent this winter, extending Nimmo should be atop the list of priorities when the season ends.
They likely won’t be without competition, however, as he is slated to be one of the most sought after names, especially since he has demonstrated he can play a strong center field.
Nimmo’s outs above average and outfielder jump rank in the 82nd and 86th percentiles, respectively, to go along with two defensive runs saved and a 2.1 ultimate zone range in 294 innings in central thus far.
Prior to this season, a deal similar to what Byron Buxton received from the Minnesota Twins (seven years, $100 million) would have been conceivable.
Nimmo, now represented by super agent Scott Boras, will likely walk away with more, so it will be interesting to see how the market shakes out for him.
Regardless, the Mets still have this year to take care of, as they go into their weekend series with the Colorado Rockies with a 26-14 record, good for first place in the National League East.
The Mets have playoff aspirations, and Nimmo is a huge part of the equation, and will continue to be going forward.
Nimmo quick hits:
-Brandon Nimmo recorded his third triple of the season on Wednesday. His three triples are tied for second in the majors and it matches his total from both 2021 and 2020. His career-high is eight triples, which came back in 2018.
-Nimmo has reached base safely in 31 of his 35 games so far this year. Nimmo is tied for 11th in the majors with a .391 on-base percentage.
-Nimmo is batting .287 with 23 runs, seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, 14 RBI, 21 walks with a .457 SLG and an .848 OPS.
-Has a .398 on-base percentage since 2018, which is the fourth highest in the majors (min. 1,500 plate appearances).
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