EVERYDAY NIMMO

How Brandon and Mets devised plan to keep him on field that led to big contract

PORT ST. LUCIE — Brandon Nimmo was undervalued by just about everyone for much of his career. Even when he was with the Mets after the club selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft, he still had to work to shed labels that were given to him by others, like fifth outfielder and oft-injured.

But the Mets always valued their homegrown outfielder. Never was that more apparent than in December, when they made him an offer to remain with the team for the rest of his career. Nimmo tested the waters of free agency and ultimately returned to Queens on an eight-year, $162 million contract with a $2 million signing bonus. Part of the reason he was such a popular free agent is that he changed the narrative about his injuries by playing in a career-high 151 games.

The Mets and Nimmo found the formula for keeping him on the field last season by using data from Catapult fitness trackers and reshaping his workload before and after games and in spring training.

So for his next act, he’s hoping for more of the same.

“We started to find out that we were turning 162 games into twice that for me,” Nimmo said. “I was going out twice a day, shagging probably more balls than I was getting in the game, actually, during that time, and then going and playing again. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely time to work, but the big league schedule and the big league game is so taxing that you want to try and figure out ways to get work done by trying to not expend as much energy as possible.”

The Catapult data showed that Nimmo’s work in the outfield prior to games was more taxing than it looked, and more taxing for him than others because each body burns energy differently. The energy his body was expending with hours of pregame work in the outfield was putting him at risk for injury.

The Mets devised a plan.

“Two hours before every game, getting the body ready and really cutting down on time spent out on the field before games,” he said. “Maybe trying to cut it down to once a series on the road, just to get a feel for the stadium. Don’t expend too much energy, just get a feel for how the ball is flying, how the stadium is. Maybe if you’re feeling good, you throw the bases a few times. And then other than that, it’s getting ready for the game.”

Lifting and recovery game after the games. He may not lift after an extra-inning game or a game where his energy output was high. The goal is to conserve as much energy as possible to use during games.

Nimmo liked the way the data helped him and the trainers make informed decisions and he liked that the Mets weren’t afraid to shake up a routine that has been performed by outfielders for nearly as long as the sport has been around.

“I think we’re being smarter about that now,” Nimmo said. “That’s the way I did it in the minor leagues to in the minor leagues and the schedule was brutal. There are people that have gotten through it for many, many years. But I think there have also been guys that have fallen through the cracks, and that maybe would have operated better on a different schedule or different conditions schedule or a different preparation schedule.”

The 29-year-old wants to stay true to his game and what makes him great, namely his on-base abilities, defense and his baserunning. Nimmo isn’t exactly a prolific baserunner but he does run the bases well and is capable of swiping a few bags.

However, he did not attempt to steal as many bases last year as he did in years past. When he played 140 games in 2018, he stole nine bases in 15 attempts. Last season, he stole three in only five attempts.

Nimmo still wants to steal bases and create offense with his legs, but for many reasons, it can’t be a mindless swipe.

“It’s being more strategic about it,” Nimmo said. “Maybe Pete [Alonso] has been swinging the bat well or Francisco [Lindor] is swinging the bat. OK, let them swing the bat, I can still score from first base. But it’s also trying to realize that today’s game is the most important one, so if there is a bag to be taken, and you feel good enough to do it, then do it.”

Nimmo’s improved health is a result of the Mets’ investments into new technologies, as well as a more mature outlook on the game after seven seasons in the Major Leagues. He had to get to a point in his career where he was comfortable enough to make big changes.

Nimmo will soon get into a Grapefruit League game to progress to a point where he’s ready for the season. This plan worked last year and if all goes to plan, it will work for the next eight.

“For most of the season, you’re not going to be 100%. You’re usually sitting somewhere between 70-90%,” he said. “So you have to have a feel for where your body’s at, and then the risk management. That comes from maturing and knowing your body.”