"CRITICISM OF BRANDON NIMMO IS WAY OFF BASE"
Why do I say that?
Two reasons:
1) People over-emphasize his negatives, namely that he is not a pure CF. And...well, I'm not sure what else they criticize. I guess you can criticize him for not being Mike Trout.
and
2) Because he gets on base so darned much.
A while back, I wrote an article that suggested that to evaluate his OBP capability, we should drop Nimmo's results in early 2020 as unrepresentative.
It was a time when he had the bulging neck disk from an April wall collision that made baseball playing impossible. Of course, he tried for a while to play through it, with very little success.
Then a long, long stint on the DL came.
But when you take his entire season 2018 results and his post-DL finish to 2019 healthy period, he had a combined .408 on base percentage. Which in 2019 would have had him in the TOP FIVE in the entire major leagues.
Ignoring his immense propensity to get on base is - well - way off base, if you ask me.
This spring?
VERY early, but Mr. On Base (may I call Nimmo that, or am I way off base?) is 4 for 11 with 2 walks and a K.
On base % so far? .500.
We all remember the show Everybody Loves Raymond?
Well, every Mets fan loves Jeff McNeil.
The astounding Jeff McNeil so far has an incredible .321 career average...but a .383 on base %.
So, while I would be stunned if Nimmo hits .321, he nonetheless gets on base at a higher rate when healthy than the great (yes, great) Jeff McNeil.
Nimmo has, in his career, gotten on base 195 times between HBPs and walks in under 1,084 plate appearances (once every 5.5 plate appearances), a superb rate.
By comparison, Amed Rosario has walked or been hit by pitch just 71 times in 1,417 PAs (once every 20 PAs).
So, before I go, may I repeat:
Any criticism of Nimmo, to me, is way off base.
Because when he gets to the plate, more often than not, he is way ON BASE.
Nimmo is so important to this team. What he does on the field is exactly as you say. And off the field? Make no mistake, the organization is focused on building a culture and he is a huge part of that. He is a benefit and a leader.
ReplyDeleteThe people who talk about his defense have no idea what they are even talking about. Mike Silva did a great interview with Billy Ripken this week talking about analytics vs. the scouts eye. Ripken is an expert and what did he say? The defensive metrics are, at best, a work in progress. At worst they are BS. Trust your eyes, Nimmo is a good, good player.
Nimmo was one of Sandy Alderson's plusses, but he wasn't first round material. Guys with a path to Cooperstown deserve that accolade.
ReplyDeleteI cant tell if Reese is being sarcastic or not. Pretty sure anyone who makes the majors and plays at a high level is first round material. Just because a few other guys might have been more valuable doesn't mean he wasnt worthy. Sure Jose Fernandez or Sonny Gray would have been better picks but the Mets did pretty good here. They still have 3 more years of control and if they let him play and his neck cooperates I expect some very productive years.
ReplyDeleteI critized the Mets drafting him in the first round. The highest any of the so-called experts had him was a Sup-1 pick.
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with his swing the first time he stepped into the Sand Gnat batting cage.
I was wrong here.
He is a keeper and should be our leadoff starter.
Nimmo is great if healthy. I never thought he would be when he was in the minors. Brandon, Nimmo, Pete and Mike are quite a core four.
ReplyDelete@Dallas -- one of the most despised NY Mets players was outfielder Kevin McReynolds who, during his duration here, averaged .272 with 24 HRs, 87 RBIs and 13 SBs per season while playing a good outfield position. When Nimmo reaches these levels, I'll be impressed.
ReplyDelete