New York Mets: 5 reasons for 2019 optimism – Part 1 Young Stars
By Ed Stein
Brandon Nimmo
I’m not sure if 26 years old is still considered young, but I do know that Mets 2013 first round draft pick (13th overall) is due for a breakout. Brandon Nimmo is a player who does many things very well but isn’t spectacular in any one dimension. One area he excels at is what will put him on the map in 2019.
Brandon Nimmo gets on base. Last year he hit a pedestrian .263 but had a .404 on-base percentage. That led to 77 runs scored, one behind Michal Conforto for the team lead. Should Callaway put Nimmo at the top of the order, where he should be on this team, he’ll break the 100 runs scored mark this season.
The New York Mets aren’t going to be the free-swinging strikeout machines they were in 2018. Better and more disciplined hitters mean they will put more in play which in turn will help move base runners. Leadoff singles and doubles will be converted into runs.
Even if he doesn’t steal a ton of bases, Nimmo runs the bases well. This year, he’ll be able to get on base, move along the base paths and score runs. He’s going to set the table for Jed Lowrie, Conforto, and Robinson Cano.