Brandon Nimmo missed out on his first career All-Star selection, but the Mets’ in-form outfielder has been one of the best players in the National League for nearly a month now.
Nimmo was in top form, smashing a bases-loaded double in the fifth inning to score the Mets’ first three runs and help them secure a 7-0 victory over the Nationals on Thursday that moved them into wild-card position.
Nimmo, who missed one game on July 1st due to a blackout, has posted impressive stats since June 14th, hitting .348 with a .434 on-base percentage, 717 hits and 30 RBI.
His 62 RBIs this season are tied for fifth-most in the National League.
“He’s an All-Star, and I’m going to keep saying that,” Carlos Mendoza said. “I don’t know if there’s any special motivation, but with him [Francisco] Lindor, I think they deserve to be there.
“But the motivation here is to win games and help the team, the New York Mets, win, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. The rest will just take care of itself.”
Nimmo said being added to the All-Star roster, even as a replacement for a late-game injury, is a “dream come true.”
After Nimmo hit a pitch from Washington starter MacKenzie Gore into left-center field with the bases loaded and the Mets leading five runs in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie, Mendoza called Nimmo a “special player, a special hitter.”
“Our goal is to keep pushing until the dam breaks, and we did that today,” said Nimmo, who has improved his batting average from .215 to .252 since June 14. “Obviously, without Lewis, I wouldn’t even be in that situation. [Torrens] Jeff’s leadoff double and incredible at-bat [McNeil for a walk] after that [Lindor] Under control [and drawing another walk] At bat before me [Lindor] When it was 2-0 I was sure it was me they wanted, not him. …
“So I’m happy to be there when they want to. [to pitch to] “Me. But I feel like that was our attack. We just keep applying pressure until it finally breaks down.”
Nimmo’s 62 RBIs are already within six of his career high from last season.
He said he has been “working with hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes over the past two years to improve my swing” in order to score more runs.
“I guess I had an ‘aha’ moment around August of last year and I started to come into my own a little bit,” Nimmo said. “It was kind of a breakthrough and it’s something I’ve been working on for a while. … You haven’t seen the work I’ve been doing, but it’s been a long journey.
“I was finally able to clean up my swing path. That, combined with my decision making, has made me a much better hitter. I’m really happy that I was able to contribute at a time when the team needed me.”
