Now that the 2020 season is over for the New York Mets, we have been looking back at the year that was. After taking a more general view of the offense, pitching, and coaching staff, it’s time to take a deeper dive into the Mets’ players. This series will take a look at every player on the roster for the Mets at the end of the season from A (Pete Alonso) to Z (Daniel Zamora). The review will look at their season statistics, stories, and what role (if any) they will have next season. We continue the series today with a look at outfielder Brandon Nimmo.
Player Review: Brandon Nimmo
2020 Stats: 55 Games, 186 At Bats, .280 Batting Average, 52 Hits, 8 Doubles, 3 Triples, 8 Home Runs, 18 RBI’s, 33 Runs Scored, 1 Stolen Base, .888 OPS, 1.6 WAR
Story: The Mets began 2020 with Brandon Nimmo as their starting center fielder. The plan was for Nimmo to platoon with Jake Marisnick, but an early injury to Marisnick gave Nimmo the job by himself essentially. Nimmo took advantage, staying healthy to produce a fine overall season. Offense wasn’t an issue for Nimmo, who swung a good bat throughout the season and had a strong finishing kick, batting .338 with three home runs, eight RBI’s and a .930 OPS in September. Defense was a bit more of an adventure for Nimmo, who gave a good effort but simply was being played out of position due to the Mets’ need to try to fit as many of their best bats in the lineup as possible.
Grade: A-
Nimmo produced a strong season reminiscent of his breakout 2018 campaign, when he slugged 17 home runs and was a 4.4 WAR player over 140 games. If you projected Nimmo’s stats over the course of a full 162 game season he likely would have come close to approximating that production in 2020.
Contract Status: Arbitration Eligible (Second Time)
Odds of Returning: 90%
2021 Role: Starting Left Fielder
The Mets will most likely have Nimmo back in 2021, with the lone exception coming if he is dealt for a star like Francisco Lindor or Nolan Arenado. The Robinson Cano suspension removes Jeff McNeil from the left field mix, allowing the Mets to potentially stick Nimmo out there, which would be a better fit for him defensively. There are also scenarios where Nimmo could remain in center field, particularly if the Mets opt to spend big money on a guy like J.T. Realmuto instead of George Springer, but he remains an important part of the equation going forward.
Check back tomorrow as our Player Review series continues with a look at infielder Eduardo Nunez!
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