New York Mets: Three predictions for Brandon Nimmo in 2020

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 03: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets celebrates his three run homerun to take a 4-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 03: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets celebrates his three run homerun to take a 4-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 21: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets poses for a photo on Photo Day at First Data Field on February 21, 2019 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

OBP: easy as 1, 2, 3

If Billy Beane were making Moneyball today, I bet Nimmo would be one of the first players he’d sign. The man is simply an on-base machine. In 2018, alongside a respectable .263 average, Nimmo posted a remarkable .404 OBP, good enough for 2nd in the National League. It came about from several factors: his plate discipline, relatively low strikeout rate, and league-leading 22 hit-by-pitches.

Even in an injury-shortened season in 2019, Nimmo still managed a very good OBP of .375 in 254 plate appearances. He already has a .400 OBP season to his resume, so if Nimmo can avoid costly injuries in 2020, I see no reason why he can’t replicate this and add another .400 OBP season to his baseball card.

With another high OBP season, and probably many games batting leadoff, Nimmo could easily put himself in position for a .900 OPS season. He nearly accomplished this in 2018, finishing the year just shy of that mark with a .886 OPS. For three out of the six months of the 2018 season, Nimmo had an OPS above .900, and two of those months his OPS exceeded 1.000.

If his home run rate increases slightly, and his OBP remains steady at or around .400, Nimmo will be in line for a full season with a .900 OPS. The question remains, will these improved statistics translate into any league-wide recognition for Nimmo?