Why Brandon Nimmo's progress is promising for New York Mets

Brandon Nimmo played in his first game of spring training on Friday, and that is a promising development for the New York Mets.

Feb 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) looks on during a spring training workout at Clover Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Brandon Nimmo has been a mainstay in the New York Mets' lineup for nearly a decade. As he returns from injury, he looks to continue playing a key role in the team's offense in 2025.

Many teams have that one guy they consider to be the "spark plug" of the offense. For the Mets, Nimmo has fit that description to a tee.

It has been a wild wide in the veteran's career. Drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft, expectations have always been high for the feisty Nimmo.

Brandon Nimmo wants to be a Met for life, and hopes Pete Alonso can do the same: pic.twitter.com/6sX9MRyjzH

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) January 25, 2025

In 2025, those same high expectations are in place for the Mets as a whole after adding superstar Juan Soto to the mix. New York is but one of the three juggernauts in the daunting National League East, a division that Nimmo has called home since making his Major League debut in 2016.

Injuries have been an issue for Nimmo throughout his career, with eight separate injured list stints during his tenure at the Major League level. They have limited his playing time, though he has played in 150 or more games in each of the last three years.

The outfielder is working his way back from plantar fasciitis this spring, an injury he has been dealing with since last May, and that he reaggravated in the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Nimmo made his spring training debut on Friday.

The Mets are back on TV as Brandon Nimmo & Brandon Sproat make their spring debuts! pic.twitter.com/QtTZpP5K7o

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) February 28, 2025

However, Nimmo would make his spring training debut on Friday; as he typically does, the outfielder drew a walk in his first plate appearance. Plate discipline is a major strength of Nimmo's game, and alongside the elite discipline of Soto, the outfield duo could prove to be a lethal OBP nightmare for opposing teams.

Read more: Juan Soto effect already taking shape for New York Mets in spring training

For his career, Nimmo has batted .261/.371/.438 with 110 home runs, 371 RBI, and a 126 OPS+ across 3,713 plate appearances in 911 games. Every one of his plate appearances to this point has come with the Mets.

The plantar fasciitis seemingly held Nimmo back in 2024. Even though the outfielder played 151 games, his production at the plate took a step back. After four consecutive seasons of 128 or better marks in OPS+, Nimmo posted only a 107 for that metric in 2024. It was his lowest OPS+ since an 83 in 2016.

Getting back on the field on Friday is a promising step forward for Nimmo and the Mets. 2025 will be his 10th Major League season, and he has been a key part of the lineup for the better part of that stint.

With Soto now on the roster and Pete Alonso back in the fold, a healthy Nimmo will go a long way to making this Mets team a legitimate offensive threat to any opposing pitching staff that dares set foot on the field. In the gauntlet of the National League East, the Mets will need the outfielder's pre-2024 form to help them compete with the Phillies and Atlanta Braves.