How Brandon Nimmo Has Sneakily Become the Most Consistent Rangers Hitter

Let's keep this going, shall we?

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Over the offseason, the Texas Rangers dealt Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for Brandon Nimmo, and he's made up for his steep price tag so far this season. The veteran is batting .316/.395/.513, which leads all qualified Rangers hitters. He's hit three homers and doubled four times, but more importantly, he's been an on-machine.

Nimmo has 18 singles and eight walks, which have boosted his team-leading on-base percentage by a wide margin. He's been the table setter at the start of the lineup every night, and best of all, he's hitting more breaking balls.

Last season, Nimmo posted a .227 batting average against all breaking balls, but he's improved it to .300 to begin this season. Yes, a small sample size, but it's immediate progress.

He's been an All-Star caliber player to begin his Texas tenure, and he's living up to his contract. Unfortunately, even with Nimmo leading the charge, the Rangers have a below-average batting average.

With a highly competitive American League West this season, the Rangers need every bit of offensive production they can get. With Nimmo, it's not just offensive prowess he possesses.

He's only played one season with more than 10 games in right field his entire career (2018), and hasn't played the position since 2020. Despite his lack of experience, he's locked down the position with confidence in 18 of his 19 games so far.

Rangers' Offense Has Enjoyed Every Second With Nimmo on the Roster

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He has two defensive runs saved in a position he hasn't played in nearly a decade. With how this season has gone, Texas' fans should be thankful he'll be here a long time.

Before the 2023 season, the New York Mets signed Nimmo to an eight-year, $162 million deal, which extended through his age 37-season. After just three seasons, he was traded to Texas and is thriving to begin his tenure.

Semien, on the other hand, has had a rough beginning to his season. He's posted a .194/.257/.269 slash line through 19 games, and has just three extra-base hits. The once elite second baseman has fallen from grace as age begins to factor into his production. He spent four strong seasons in Texas, including a 7.7 bWAR in 2023.

Semien is signed through 2028 with a $25 million AAV remaining, which he signed with the Rangers in 2022. The contract swap is similar, but the production isn't. Early into the season, the Rangers brass have won this trade.