A reassuring NY Mets trend that must continue against the Twins

The Mets' lineup is suddenly not just three players deep at the top. Brandon Nimmo has hits in four of his last five games, including four extra base hits and four RBI. Over his last seven games, he boasts an OPS of .838. After a cold stretch put a damper on a nice start at the plate, Nimmo is back to finding ways to hit, which is enormous for a Mets team whose biggest struggle has been offense early this season.

If the Mets want to continue winning games, Nimmo needs to stay hot at the plate.

As the regular cleanup hitter in the Mets' lineup, occasionally slotting in at the five-hole, Nimmo acts as the heart of the offense behind the monstrous trio of Lindor, Soto, and Alonso. If Nimmo can't hit, chances are the on-base machines in front of him won't come home to score.

What we've seen from Nimmo early on this season that sets him apart from his mediocre down year in 2024 is that he's getting a much better feel for the ball than he ever has in his career. Even during some of his best seasons, Baseball Savant shows that his barrel rate and hard-hit percentage have sat around league average or slightly above. His hard-hit percentage peaked in 2023 and 2024 at the 83rd percentile, but even still, his barrel rate hovered around MLB's average in the 59th and 60th percentile, respectively.

This year, however, we are seeing Nimmo square up on the ball like he never has before, with his barrel and hard hit percentages at the 92nd and 94th percentile, respectively. He has always been a reliable contact and on-base player with some pop, but if he can add a better ability to hit the ball hard, it would certainly be a breath of fresh air, especially coming off last year's second-half woes in which he registered just a .596 OPS.

The only downside lies in his walk rate. One of Nimmo's strengths at the plate is his ability to see the ball well. Even last season, in what was probably the worst year of his major-league career, he finished 91st percentile in walk rate. This year, however, he sits at the 36th percentile thus far. We want to see Nimmo continue to hit the ball hard, but it shouldn't come at the cost of his overall ability to get on base. It's early in the season, and he simply might not be walking much yet, but it's something to keep an eye on.

For now, Nimmo is hitting the ball well and hard. The heart of the lineup oftentimes dictates how the other guys hit, and if he's able to keep this up, the Mets may see more of a spark from their 5-9 hitters.