Brandon Nimmo has been a standout center fielder for the New York Mets over the course of the last three seasons. In spite of his strong play, the Mets have integrated two marquee players at his position into the fold, forcing head coach Carlos Mendoza to make a tough call.
A shift from center to left field was the decision that the Mets’ coaching staff came to. As a true team player, Nimmo embraced his impending new role.
Mets’ Brandon Nimmo is ready to play left field next season
MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo shared this quote from Nimmo, who expressed his willingness to put winning above all else, saying:
“I told him, ‘Honestly, my goal at this point in my career is to win a World Series. If you think that creating a better outfield defense or adding these guys to our roster is going to help our chances of winning a World Series, then I’ll do whatever it takes to do that,’” Nimmo said. “I kind of just put my trust in him that if you think this will make us better, fine by me.”
For the betterment of their World Series hopes, Nimmo will line up next to 2021 Gold Glove winner Harrison Bader, who will take over Nimmo’s role in the middle of the outfield.
Thankfully, Nimmo is not a stranger to his new position. He manned left field 20 times since 2021, producing a perfect fielding percentage with a clean sheet in the errors department despite the limited 121-innings sample size.
How the Mets can improve as a defensive unit with Nimmo’s shift to left field
The Mets need stoutness in their second line of defense. As a team, the Mets committed 88 total errors, trailing only the Atlanta Braves for the lead in the NL East last season.
Bader’s arm strength received a score of 91.7 from Baseball Savant, placing him in the 91st percentile as opposed to Nimmo’s score of 84, which placed him in the 40th. Bader’s fielding run value also ranked in the 93rd percentile, exemplifying his strength at the position.
With a league filled with right-handed batters, Nimmo will have ample opportunities to clean up hits sent to his side of the field. The Mets are looking to improve upon their 75-87 record from a year ago. They’re banking on the shift in the outfield to be a catalyst for change.
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