SEATTLE — Brandon Nimmo was one of the notable players left off the National League All-Star team after a poor six-week stretch.
The Mets’ outfield has been a completely different force since returning from the hiatus than the one that led the team to a wild-card run.
Nimmo entered Sunday batting just .158 with a .286 on-base percentage and a .197 slugging percentage in the second half of the season, a reflection of the team’s overall struggles offensively.
Nimmo, who was hitless and walked one for three in Sunday’s 12-1 loss, spoke with manager Carlos Mendoza after the Mets suffered their second consecutive shutout loss Saturday.
Many of the same sentiments expressed by Nimmo in his post-game interview were echoed by Mendoza.
“I definitely haven’t performed really well since the All-Star break. I expect more from myself,” Nimmo said. “I expect more from myself and I try to do it every day, but it’s not enough. I’m one of the leaders on this team. I have to live up to expectations. I have to work harder and I haven’t.”
Mendoza and his staff appreciate that level of accountability.
“He wants to get results,” hitting coach Eric Chavez said. “He feels an obligation to the team. [Francisco] Lindor and the other guys, that’s what leaders do. They feel a responsibility when they bat in the middle of the lineup, but Brandon’s worked really hard to get out of that. From our side, I don’t see a lot of big red flags.”
Nimmo hit nine home runs over a three-week period beginning in mid-June.
Coming into Sunday, he hadn’t hit a home run in the three weeks since the All-Star break.
“He’s struggling and trying really hard to figure something out,” Chavez said. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t think anybody expected this to happen the way the All-Star break ended.”
Chavez’s lament is when the All-Star break happens.
Since then, the Mets have not been the team they once were on offense.
“I think the break came at a bad time for all of us,” Chavez said. “It wasn’t something we were looking forward to, but things will get better from here. We’re just trying to get him out of this rut, and hopefully get him back on the East Coast for a change of scenery and things will be better.”
Nimmo stayed late after Friday’s game to take batting practice at the batting cages, but the rewards weren’t immediate. He was 0-for-3 with one walk on Saturday.
“There’s not a lot mechanically, but we continue to work hard and try not to put too much pressure on our guys,” Chavez said. “That’s why we have nine hitters in the lineup.”
“Nobody should feel the responsibility of carrying the team on their back. Usually, we have two or three guys in the lineup. Nobody should feel the responsibility of carrying the team on their back. Usually, we have two or three guys who are performing well, but right now we’re not hitting together as a team.”
One thing is certain: The Mets will be welcoming a return to Citi Field after a four-city road trip across three different time zones, including a make-up game in St. Louis on Monday.
The Mets entered the game with a 4-5 record on the road.
“Every team has these trips,” Chavez said. “Make-up games… you can make excuses, but trips and [the Mariners] They have really good pitching, so I think that’s what helped us win.”
