Brandon Nimmo has not hidden his disappointment in not making the All-Star Game.
The Mets outfielder believes his numbers are good enough to merit selection, but that’s not what’s behind his recent power surge.
“It’s something special to me. [motivation]”That’s true, but it’s never worked for me,” Nimmo told The Post after hitting his third straight home run in a Mets-Nationals game on Wednesday night at Citi Field. “It worked for me when I played football, but it’s never worked for me in baseball.”
For Nimmo, he is now being rewarded for hitting the ball hard on a consistent basis.
He’s not trying to hit home runs, but they’re coming, with nine extra-base hits in his last 20 games.
He hit 24 home runs last year, but is on track to break his career high with 16 this year.
Nimmo is not considered a power hitter or a scorer.
His greatest strength has always been his ability to get on base, with his .379 career on-base percentage coming primarily as a leadoff hitter.
However, recently the situation has been changing.
He also boasts an impressive .832 OPS and has a team-high 59 RBI, just nine shy of his career-best of 68 RBIs he recorded last year.
“Even when I was in the big leagues, I just felt like I had more inside of me,” Nimmo said. “As I played the season, I made adjustments, I competed every day, and I got a little bit better. And as I got better, I want to be able to produce results. … I just felt like I had more inside of me and I could get better. And this is the player that I always dreamed of and hoped and thought I could be. It just took a little bit of time.”
On May 18th, the Mets batted Francisco Lindor as their leadoff hitter.
Nimmo initially batted third but then moved to second.
He was excellent there.
Since May 31, in 33 games played, Nimmo is batting .315/.396/.591 with a .986 OPS, nine home runs and 30 RBIs.
“I think my performance speaks for itself this year and I think I played worthy of being an All-Star,” Nimmo said, “But I’m not trying to hit a home run every day. I’m just doing the same things I’ve been trying to do all year, I’m just having a little bit more success on the home run side of things.”
