Before the MLB season was suspended, Mets' outfielder Brandon Nimmo was listed as one of 15 players that was "turning scouts' heads" in spring training, according to Baseball America.
Nimmo was limited to just 69 games last year due to a neck injury. But in his first season as a full-time player in 2018, Nimmo and his fan-favorite smile posted a .404 on-base percentage, the fifth-highest in baseball. Despite hitting just .221 in his abbreviated 2019, Nimmo still posted a .375 on-base percentage.
In 11 spring training games, Nimmo was red hot, posting a slashline of .379/.455/.552.
After missing more than half of last season, and with the Mets having other outfield options in blue and orange, Nimmo has something to prove, and one scout thinks he has, at least offensively.
"I think with the bat, as long as he's healthy, he's worth keeping an eye on. I'd bet on him having a pretty good year offensively," one scout said.
However, scouts are not ready to give Nimmo a Gold Glove Award just yet.
"He's not a center fielder and they're going to have him play there every day, so maybe his advanced metrics like WAR and all that might not cast him in such a favorable light," that same scout said.
Nimmo has played 752.1 innings in left field and 719.1 in center, although he has started seven more games (87) in center than left (80).
But with Michael Conforto primarily playing right field last season, and left field being J.D. Davis' only outfield position (as of now), Nimmo seems slated to rack up most of his innings closest to the apple in center field at Citi Field.
Nimmo has a career -5.5 ultimate zone rating (UZR) and -9 defensive runs saved in center field.