The Mets are searching high and low for a platoon partner for Juan Lagares in centerfield. They are looking into free agents such as Denard Span, Gerardo Parra, and Alejandro De Aza. But Span and Parra may command more years than the Mets are currently willing to commit to players of their caliber. The teams current philosophy for better or worse, does not suggest they will change their thinking and give them the extra year. Other players like De Aza are ok, but that’s about it, nothing that is going to make a real difference. I would suggest looking closer to home, because the Mets have a perfect platoon partner for Lagares currently in AAA. Brandon Nimmo.
The Mets 2011 first round pick has the tools the Mets need and he could be useful right now. It has taken the raw athlete a few years to get his bearings, but Nimmo has slowly developed into a solid player in the minor leagues. He has a solid line drive approach at the plate with great contact. He doesn’t hit for a lot of power, but Nimmo is a big kid and certainly develop more pop down the line. The real asset that Nimmo brings to the table is his plate discipline. At almost every single level he has played at, Nimmo has brought his near .400 OBP with him. The man loves to walk. Scouts say his strong batting eye and patience at the plate remain even in RBI situations. That is a rare trait in a player of his age.
Nimmo is also a very strong defender, playing CF at every level of the minors. He is a great route runner and his above average speed allows him to close in on balls in a hurry. Since 2011, Brandon has committed only 12 errors. That’s pretty good. Unfortunately, his top end speed has not seemed to translate into stolen bases yet. Perhaps he will learn how to fine tune his acceleration more over time.
He is not without his faults. Nimmo struggles mightily against LHP. The last two years he has hit .152 and .185 at AA and AAA. But, for the Mets purposes we will concentrate on how he does against RHP. Brandon has raked against RHP at every level. In 2015 he hit .297 with a .418 OBP upon his promotion to Triple A. Actually, even against LHP where he struggles; he still kept a great batting eye and managed to get a lot of walks. Part-time play should not hinder Nimmo’s growth either as he will get the bulk of the AB’s as the left handed portion of the platoon
So, maybe when the Mets take a look around they will realize they have a perfect centerfielder for 2016. It is a platoon of Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo. What do you think? Comment below.
4 Comments