With the addition of center fielder Harrison Bader to the team in the offseason, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo has already discussed moving to left field for the 2024 campaign, but Nimmo may see more changes this year.
The Mets brass has discussed Nimmo’s possible switch from the leadoff slot in the batting lineup both before and throughout spring training. Nimmo seems amenable to the notion.
“I have nothing against that being modified at all. I don’t feel obligated to bat first, Nimmo said to Tim Healy of Newsday. “Last year, we significantly fell short of our desired goals. And I have no problem changing things around to get a different outcome.
Nimmo, who turns 31 at the end of March, has spent eight seasons in the major leagues playing 760 games, 520 of which he has started at first base. Throughout his career, he has a.380 on-base percentage and a.365 on-base percentage when he bats first.
“Being versatile” to play both LF and CF at times this season is crucial, the 2011 first-round pick stated in February. He also stated that he’s “willing and available to do whatever is best for us to win a World Series.”
When talking about a potential switch up in batting order, he reaffirmed similar mentality, saying that it might be advantageous to switch up batting positions with Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. By 2023, it had become the norm.
Nimmo told Newsday, “I’m all for it if it’s better for the team, if it puts us in a better position to mix things up with Pete and Lindor and put someone else in a better position maybe at leadoff or whatever it may be.”
Nimmo’s skill was further praised by hitting coach Jeremy Barnes, who stated that “good things are going to happen” wherever the team decides to bat him.
“Having that flexibility is nice,” Barnes remarked. “His skill set is really distinct. He walks above major-league average, hits the ball extremely hard, doesn’t swing and miss very often, and gets on base. Additionally, he began to generate more power and toss the ball into the air last year.
“Good things will happen if he does those things, whether he ends up hitting leadoff or second, third, or fourth behind Pete or whatever.”
On March 3, Nimmo made his spring debut, hitting first. When the Mets play the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, he will bat first again. However, it’s likely that the team will test a different lineup at some time during spring training to see how things work out.