Baseball

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo shining God's light as a regular with New York Mets

By Jason Romano May 29, 2018
(Photo courtesy of Arturo Pardavila III/Flickr)

Joy. Enthusiasm, Energy. Thankfulness. Jubilation.

Those are all words that can describe New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo when you watch him play the game of baseball.

Picture a kid on Christmas morning. Oozing with excitement, enthusiasm and anticipation. Full of joy and thanksgiving.

That’s Nimmo.

“I try to remember kind of a little bit longer point of view,” Nimmo said to MLB Network. “I try to take myself back from it and see all the pieces that it took to getting here. How fortunate I am to be healthy and be playing this game as my job. I just see how fortunate I am to accomplish a childhood dream. I just think you see that joy and thankfulness coming out into the games.”

When Nimmo draws a walk or is hit by a pitch, he immediately bolts for first base like he’s being chased by a dog. He says that comes from his love for baseball and the way he’s always played it since he was a little kid.

“I was taught to go to first base quickly,” he told MLB Network, “because when you’re younger, there’s always a chance it gets by the catcher and with my speed, I might be able to get to second base. It was just a habit I developed. And now, it’s turned into joy in getting on base. I take joy and pride in getting to first base. That’s an accomplishment for me. I think you see the joy I have from doing my job out there.”

Nimmo was selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft as an 18-year-old from East High School in Cheyenne, Wyo.  As a young player, Nimmo worked his way through the minor league system and in 2016, after hitting .352 with 11 home runs at Triple-A Las Vegas, he received the call to the big leagues and made his MLB debut on June 26 against Atlanta.

Last year, he split time with Las Vegas and the big league club, playing in 69 games for the Mets, hitting .260 with five home runs.

In spring training this year, Nimmo showed he belonged in Queens, hitting .306 with three home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored in 19 games. The problem, though, was a very crowded outfield at Citi Field. The Mets had Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto locked in as starters, and re-signed veteran Jay Bruce to play right field. That left Nimmo without a spot.

But baseball has a funny way of opening up opportunities and for Nimmo, that occurred pretty quickly. First, he started the season with the Mets in place of the injured Conforto. A few days later, Conforto returned and Nimmo was sent to Las Vegas for one game before being called back up. Injuries to Cespedes and backup outfielder Juan Lagares has given Nimmo a chance to play every day and he’s made the most of it.

In 42 games this season, Nimmo has hit .260 with five home runs and 20 walks in 104 at-bats. His on base percentage is .408 and he’s been a catalyst at the top of the lineup for a Mets team trying to stay in contention with the Braves, Phillies and Nationals. Nimmo has displayed a bit of a power surge recently. Since May 16, he has hit four home runs and his home run Monday night against the Braves helped New York to an 8-5 win.

Brandon is also an outspoken follower of Jesus Christ and often shares Bible verses for his Twitter followers to read.

In January of 2017, Nimmo was a guest at Cheyenne Hills Church, where he shared his testimony and some encouraging words to those who are trying to follow God.

“High school is one of the toughest arenas to follow Christ,” Nimmo said. “For any young kid out there, it’s a very small and narrow path that leads to Christ and that leads to life. It’s a very wide and easy path that leads to death and destruction. Sometimes the path that everybody else is going on is not the one you should choose. So I would say get used to doing hard things. It’s going to serve you better in the end. The only person you should be trying to impress in this life is Christ. It only matters what Christ thinks about you. It only matters what you’re doing for Christ.”

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