New York Mets: Brandon Nimmo having all time great Mets season

He may not have had a lot of attention at the start of the year, but New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is having one of the best seasons in franchise history.

Heading into the 2018 campaign, there was little reason to think that Brandon Nimmo was more than a fourth outfielder for the New York Mets. He was thrust into the Opening Day lineup due to injuries, and proceeded to reach base four times in his five plate appearances. Nimmo parlayed that first game into a hot April, posting a .313/.488/.563 batting line, forcing the Mets to start to put him in the lineup more frequently.

When Nimmo had his slumps at the start of May, and again at the end of July, it was expected that his magical season was coming to a close. The ride had been fun, but he was about to return to the level that everyone expected. Instead, Nimmo managed to continue to fight his way through those slumps, continuing to produce in the Mets lineup. Now, as he headed into Saturday’s action, Nimmo had produced one of the best seasons in Mets history.

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While Nimmo has had a solid performance, it is not quite the type of year that one would expect to be one of the best in Mets history. Entering Saturday, he had produced a solid .264/.398/.490 batting line, hitting 27 doubles, eight triples, and 17 homers. He has proven to be quite adept at getting on base, with 70 walks and a league leading 22 times being hit by a pitch in 508 plate appearances.

And yet, that combination of being able to get on base, and his respectable pop, have led to a historic season. His 149 OPS+ is the best since David Wright had a 151 OPS+ in 2007. Should he close out the season on a hot streak, it is not unthinkable that he would surpass Wright on this list.

As impressive as this performance was, no one saw it coming. The Mets signed Jay Bruce to a three year deal, pushing Nimmo back to that fourth outfielder role. Instead, when Bruce was injured, he took the opportunity that presented itself and ran, making himself a part of the Mets future.

All Brandon Nimmo needed was a chance. This season, when he received his chance, he put together one of the best seasons in New York Mets history.