On Thursday, Brandon Nimmo was batting second in the Mets’ order as they looked to complete a series sweep against the Washington Nationals.
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Nimmo has certainly earned his frequent placement at this prominent spot in the lineup. Since June 29, he was batting .326/.383/.698 with four home runs, four doubles, eight RBIs and a 203 wRC+ entering Thursday’s contest.
He mentioned that his recent success is the culmination of a long process that involved refining his swing and approach at the plate.
“It was something that we have been working on for two years,” Nimmo said. “We finally were able to clean up the swing path, add that with my decision-making and become a much better hitter.”
In his first at-bat of the day, Nimmo connected with a 98.2 mile-per-hour flyout that traveled 367 feet. This hard-hit ball had an expected batting average of .470, showcasing Nimmo’s continued strong approach and process at the plate. While this specific instance did not result in a hit, there is an obvious correlation between hitting the ball hard and producing favorable outcomes.
Nimmo is no stranger to hard contact this season, as more than half of his batted balls have been hit at 95 mph or more. In addition to being in the 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate, Nimmo has a 92.7 mph average exit velocity, placing him in the 94th percentile of that category according to Baseball Savant.
His propensity to hit the ball hard paid off when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. He proceeded to sock a 103.6 mph double that traveled 344 feet and drove in all three runners, providing the Mets with a 3-0 lead.
Nimmo finished the day 1-for-4 with three RBIs, keeping his recent hot streak alive. He is now batting .252/.365/.466 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs over 87 games this season.
This performance helped the Mets seal the victory as well as move into third Wild Card spot. They now sit two games above .500 with three more games to play prior to the All-Star break.
Correspondingly, Nimmo has not been shy about his desire for the Mets to be buyers at the trade deadline.
“We want to be buyers at the end of this month and we think that we’ve got a great team here,” Nimmo said.
Along with many fans and members of the media across the league, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza continues to advocate for Nimmo’s All-Star candidacy and believes he was snubbed after being left off the roster.
“He deserved to be an All-Star. I’m going to continue to say it,” Mendoza said.
When asked about whether Nimmo’s exclusion from the All-Star festivities would serve as additional motivation for him, Mendoza quickly squashed that sentiment.
“I think the motivation here is to win games,” Mendoza said. “To help the team, the New York Mets, get wins day in and day out.”
Based on Nimmo’s comments about wanting to add more talent to the team, it is clear that he is taking a team-first approach in this situation. While he would like to be recognized for his exceptional season, he also understands that there is a bigger picture involving a potential playoff push in Queens.
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