Mets: Brandon Nimmo’s health is crucial to the team’s success

Brandon Nimmo is one player the New York Mets cannot afford to lose in 2019.

A major issue the New York Mets face every season is their players staying healthy. Every season, multiple everyday position players get hurt and miss an extended period of time, causing the club to lose more games and fall back in the standings. As we head into the 2019 season, we all hope for a healthy lineup. However, there is one position player the Mets cannot afford to lose to injury, and that is emerging star, Brandon Nimmo.

2018 was a breakout year for Nimmo. This season, he looks to continue his high-caliber performance and make a major impact this season. Last year, Nimmo hit had an On-Base Percentage of .404, which was second in the National League to Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto.

In his first season of at least 100 games, Nimmo began to play better than he ever has. He proved he can be an everyday leadoff hitter. The Wyoming native was a threat to every pitcher he faced, always finding a way to get on base. His 22 hit by pitches were first in the majors.

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After adding new All-Stars like catcher Wilson Ramos and second baseman Robinson Cano to bat in the middle of the order, Nimmo has a very good chance to score over 100 runs this season. Having better hitters behind him will help him score more. If he gets on base as much as he did last year, he would not only lead the Mets in runs this season but be near the top of the National League as well.

If Nimmo were to get hurt this year, the Mets’ offseason philosophy would be ruined. There were free agent center fielders available, but the team did not go out and acquire a new starting center fielder in the offseason because they wanted to shift Nimmo over from right field. It would be crucial for Nimmo to remain healthy because they need him manning center in order to have the strongest offensive lineup.

As of right now, injuries to Todd Frazier and Jed Lowrie may force Jeff McNeil to shift from left field to third base, which would slide Nimmo over to left from center. Not just for his defense, the Mets need Nimmo’s offensive production.

He is the expected sparkplug of the offense. There are huge expectations for him as the team’s everyday leadoff hitter. The Amazin’s need a high-caliber hitter like Nimmo at the top of their lineup if they want to contend. Last season, his OPS was .886, 11thin the National League. Looking to be even better than last year, his offensive production may be far from its ceiling.

Being the centerfielder and the leadoff hitter adds much value to Nimmo’s health. The club would suffer if he were to get injured. They are in the best offensive situation when he is batting leadoff. It would be a shame if he missed significant time because this season has the potential to be his first All-Star campaign and he is a huge component of the Mets. He is emerging as a star and fans want to watch him play every day.

Yes, Michael Conforto is expected to have a huge season, and nobody wants to see him miss time either. However, Nimmo is needed a little more because of his ability to get on base, which will lead to more runs and more wins. Having an efficient and productive leadoff hitter is crucial.

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This year is going to be huge for Brandon Nimmo. Now that he has more talent around him, his production is only going to improve, and he is going to turn many heads around the baseball community. The club would not be the same without him if he gets hurt. His health is vital to the Mets’ success this year. The playoffs are not a possibility without Brandon Nimmo playing at least 150 games.