3 Mets players we should raise the bar for in 2023

2) NY Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo has big money, needs a big season

Brandon Nimmo is back and a much wealthier man than when we last saw him play baseball. The club’s longtime leadoff hitter and center fielder comes into this next season with the bar set so high that he can jump and not even hit his head.

Predicting exactly what type of season Nimmo will have is difficult. He has turned into a much more complete player. He’s no longer a low-batting average, high OBP guy with questionable defense. Nimmo does a little bit of everything well. This is precisely what the Mets should expect out of him in 2023.

The big $162 million contract puts Nimmo at a level few Mets players have ever gotten to. We aren’t comparing it to past deals like ones handed out to Mike Piazza or Carlos Beltran. Instead, we’re looking at Nimmo compared to the rest of his peers currently active in MLB and on the same roster.

The Mets are committed to Nimmo. He’ll be asked to do a lot of the same things he has done well over the last few years. We may even keep our fingers crossed that he can do a bit more.

For all of his excellence, Nimmo has never been an All-Star, received any MVP consideration, or taken a major award home. The 2023 season is when that should change.