Nimmo’s Torrid June Warrants All-Star Nod
The Mets abandoned the June swoon in 2024. After a 9-19 May that saw many declare the club sellers at the deadline, the Mets have rallied a major league-best .684 (13-6) winning percentage in June and thrust themselves back into the wild card race.
Many players can be attributed to the turnaround of the season. But the offensive renaissance of Brandon Nimmo in June has been one key factor for the Mets’ 180.
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
In the month of the June, Nimmo is slashing .324/.383/.568/.951 with four homers, three doubles, and one triple. The four homers already match his total from May in five fewer games and his .951 OPS is the first month he’s registered an OPS above .800.
The reason for the prolific offense is unknown, but it could be credited to the shift of the Mets lineup. Nimmo was moved to the second spot in the lineup after a failed attempt batting third and is slashing .400/.467/.750/1.217 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 10 games.
For comparison, Nimmo hit six homers and drove in 27 runs in 40 games in the leadoff spot this season. He only clubbed one homer and drove in five in 20 games batting third.
Nimmo is one of many Mets enjoying their new spots in the lineup. But none can be happier than manager Carlos Mendoza. The Mets are averaging six runs per game in June and have scored 114 total. That’s good for fourth in the majors and the best in the National League.
Nimmo’s contribution to the Mets has led to more winning. And it’s also led to his numbers matching the back of his baseball card. As of June 25, Nimmo is slashing .244/.358/.430/.788 with 11 homers and a 130 OPS+.
Brandon Nimmo makes it back-to-back homers!
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/6UGYbMrpPF
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 23, 2024
He continues to be one of the better offensive outfielders in the majors. But for some reason, the 31-year-old has never been an All-Star. And it looks like that may stay the same this season with a selection to the reserve team.
The second round of 2024 All-Star voting was released on June 24, with 20 NL outfielders listed. Nimmo was not one of those players. Instead, players such as Adam Duvall, who has a negative bWAR, were listed, and even Johan Rojas, who was optioned to Triple-A on June 17.
Nimmo enters June 25 with a 130 OPS+, 11 homers, and 1.8 bWAR. Here are all the outfielders listed in the Top 20 votes on the NL All-Star ballot with lower totals:
Jackson Chourio, Corbin Carroll, Jackson Merrill, Jarred Kelenic, Andy Pages, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Harris II, Jason Heyward, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Cody Bellinger, Brandon Marsh, Duvall, and Rojas.
But here are Nimmo’s ranks among NL outfielders:
- fWAR (2.2)—3rd
- wRC+ (130)—3rd
- Runs (46)—2nd
- Home runs (11)—3rd
- OBP (.358)—4th
- OPS (.788)—7th
It’s undeniable. Nimmo should be an NL All-Star this season.
The early season losing streak didn’t help, and the 9-19 May probably turned other MLB fans away from the Mets. But Nimmo, along with Francisco Lindor and Luis Severino, are deserving of the nod. The team is playing to their potential right now and the fans deserve to see the majors’ best players in Texas.
Phase one of voting ends this Thursday, June 27. Vote for your Mets here.
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