Tom Brennan - NIMMO AND CECCHINI, MEET POPEYE

Tom Brennan - NIMMO AND CECCHINI, MEET POPEYE

Remember that old Popeye jingle?

"I'm Strong to the Finish, because of Me Spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man (toot toot HA GA GA GA!)"?

In baseball, as in cartoons, strength matters. 

Muscle matters for hitters.

I watched the Mets with my cousin Bill on Labor Day, and really got to focus on Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini.

What I saw was: SKINNY...IN NEED OF SPINACH!

Slender Brandon Nimmo has played quite well (.272/.407 on base %), frankly, but power is almost completely lacking.   Best comp that comes to me is former Met Dave Magadan, but with even less power than the low powered Magadan generated.  And Dandy Dave hit .292 for the Mets in over 2000 at bats, going .292/.391/.386.

In yesterday's post-game interview, Terry Collins damned Nimmo with faint praise, acknowledging that he has gotten on base a lot lately, but indicating that power needs to be ramped up because this is a day and age of launch angles and long balls. 


Frankly, I agree - let me say first of all, I applaud Mr. Nimmo.  he really has drunk the organizational Kool Aid and tries to work the pitcher as they have asked.  But I'd take less patient working of the strike zone from Mr. Nimmo if that is what it takes to get more power. 

But I really think what he needs is 2 things:

1) Pull a Daniel Murphy - as Murph did, work with Kevin Long to change your launch angle and add more long balls.

2) Beef up by 15-20 pounds of muscle this off season, muscle that will add to your power.

Otherwise, without great speed, you seem to be cordoning yourself off as a reserve outfielder in the future.

As for Cecchini, similar advice - I was very disappointed after his being in the organization for 5 years to see him so slender.  Bulk it up, Gavin, or you will very possibly be no more than a marginal major leaguer.

Let me add two things:

1) I could be wrong: hope I am, hope their ceilings are higher.

2) Sandy's having selected both gents in the first half of the first round of the draft in back to back years was crazy - they just don't have the natural physiques, speed, or defensive acumen that I would expect of first round picks...3rd round, maybe.  But I hold that 0% against the players, and 100% on the supremely intelligent drafters.  Bad drafting job.

I wish Nimmo and Cecchini the best -

but they need a Popeye Diet -

so they can be strong to the finish.