Brandon Nimmo’s high school in Cheyenne, Wyoming didn’t even have a varsity baseball team. The Mets’ top prospect played American legion baseball and had to concentrate on performing at amateur showcases across the country in the hopes of being taken in the MLB draft.
Nimmo did end up being taken in the 1st round of the 2011 draft, 13th overall by the New York Mets and he went on to sign, passing on the opportunity to play at the University of Arkansas.
Many people questioned the risky pick, citing that Nimmo didn’t have high school baseball experience and was such a young and raw talent. But he has been promising in his short time in professional ball. Last season was no exception, as he played in 110 games for the Sand Gnats and played a key role in helping the team to capture the South Atlantic League championship.
Nimmo’s journey has now taken him to the Florida State League while playing for Class A Advanced St. Lucie Mets and he has shined ever since opening day. The top prospect has played to a .360/.467/.467 clip over his first 19 games. He has 27 hits, 15 walks and 19 strikeouts this season thus far, while adding three doubles, a triple, a home run and 11 RBI’s. He has also been leading the FSL in runs scored so far this season.
While spending most of his time in the two-hole, Nimmo’s ability to get on base and drive in runs has been a pleasant site to those in the Mets organization who believed that he was worth the risk to draft.
While it is highly unlikely that he keeps up this incredible production throughout the entire season, Nimmo is confident with his play thus far which he noted in an interview with Adam MacDonald of Milb.com.
“It’s been nice to get off to a hot start,” he tells MacDonald. “There are going to be ups and downs throughout the season but I think I’ve played well.”
Nimmo has grown quite a bit since being drafted in 2011, where he weighed in at 180 lbs. After implementing an aggressive off-season workout regime two years ago, he has increased to 205 lbs., while adding muscle to his sturdy frame.
Nimmo’s early success has to have Mets executives questioning whether he might be ready for Double-A Binghamton at some point this season. The 21-year old’s performance in a league with large stadiums and humid weather, conditions that make it tough to hit in, surely speaks more than just the numbers themselves.
In his interview with MacDonald, Nimmo noted that he was warned of the pitchers league that was the FSL. “They said it’s a pitchers league, nobody hits in that league.” He continues. “Everybody was preparing me for not being able to hit too much.”
The Mets hope that Brandon Nimmo can continue to flourish now that he has filled out his frame and added muscle. Time will only tell if Nimmo will advance to Double-A this season, and continue on his path to becoming the center fielder of the future.
(Photo by: David Conde/MMN)
