Mets’ Nimmo Smashes 19 Homers While Embracing New Batting Approach
Brandon Nimmo’s bat has lit up the scoreboard 19 times this year. The Mets outfielder stands just five blasts shy of beating his best mark from 2024. His success stems…
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 30: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets follows through on a seventh-inning, RBI base hit against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field on June 30, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)Brandon Nimmo's bat has lit up the scoreboard 19 times this year. The Mets outfielder stands just five blasts shy of beating his best mark from 2024. His success stems from changes in his swing.
At the plate, Nimmo hits with more force than ever: His hard contact rate now tops 51%. He swings and misses less, too, with just 19.8% strikeouts. Since summer started, he's been red-hot: a .294 average and 10 long balls in 47 games.
"Not nearly as predictable as others, like Khris Davis, who batted .247 in three straight seasons with the Oakland Athletics, the Mets can remain thankful for the way he has evolved," wrote Rising Apple.
Two years back, things clicked. His misses at the plate dropped to an all-time low of 17.2%. Leading off that year, he crossed home plate 102 times.
The next year brought mixed results. His stats dipped to .224 with a .727 OPS. Still, moving down in the lineup paid off: He knocked in 90 runs while sending 23 balls over the fence.
What a shift from his start in the big leagues. Early on, folks doubted his skills against left-handed pitchers and his play in center. Now in left field, with much better at-bats, those worries have faded away.
MLB's fresh rules about stealing bases fit right into his game plan. In just two seasons, he's stolen more bases than in all his previous years combined. Speed plus power: that's his new style.
