Brandon Nemo seems to be finding his rhythm again.
In a recent game against the Nationals, he managed to walk three runs, contributing to a 5-0 win. It’s worth noting he has accumulated up to 12 home runs this season, marking a strong performance during his home games.
However, it’s been a tough season overall for him. Before this game, he had a batting average of .231, which is noticeably lower than his career average of .259.
The crucial question is whether he can still track the ball effectively. Despite his struggles, he’s been hitting hard and making solid contact fairly consistently.
Unfortunately, those hits often landed right into opponent’s gloves instead of finding the grass.
Nemo talked about maintaining a positive mindset amidst his challenges this season.
“Sometimes, you just need to face bad luck and stick with it,” he remarked.
Even on game day, he had a moment of misfortune.
He clocked his hardest hit at 106 mph—a liner to right field—but it was only one of a few key hits he managed.
What kept him motivated was the metrics reflecting his performance.
“A lot of what we’re looking at now are the expected numbers,” he explained. “If they indicate that success is around the corner, you tend to lean into that.”
Entering Wednesday, his expected batting average was .261, which was 30 points higher than his actual average. His tracking rate was at 19.6%, considerably lower than the MLB average of 28.4%. This is something he has managed to sustain over his career.
Over the last few weeks, those expected numbers have begun to align with reality.
Since May 26th, he’s managed to bat .305 in 14 out of 16 games, which is a significant improvement.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza expressed no surprise at Nemo’s resurgence.
“He keeps giving us good at-bats and driving the ball across the field,” Mendoza said. “This is the kind of performance we know he’s capable of.”
