Nimmo Q&A: Steals, Mets rookies and what went wrong in '23

In a recent interview with MLB.com, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo discussed a wide range of topics -- from stealing more bases to what went wrong with the team in 2023.

MLB.com: With the season almost over, what was your biggest accomplishment?

Brandon Nimmo: A really big part that I emphasize every year is staying healthy and I’ve been able to be healthy in most games this year. That is something I’m happy with, because it’s a big deal to have an attribute and that’s availability.

MLB.com: The one thing that surprised me was that you took time off during Spring Training to be healthy during the regular season. I had never seen anything like that before. How did that come about?

Nimmo: It came about last year. With the shortened Spring Training that we had, the end result was that I played most of the [regular-season] games [151] and didn’t have a stint on the injured list. It’s just a known fact that come August and September, you do start to get a little tired and that does make you a little more prone to injuries.

MLB.com: One thing you did not mention is that the power is up. You have a career-high 23 home runs.

Nimmo: It’s been a long time coming. It’s been a lot of hard work that has been put in every year to try and become a little bit better, a little more efficient. I feel this offseason, I was able to kind of complete a long work in progress. … It was a big milestone for me to break my personal best [17 homers in 2018] and to also get to the 20 home run mark. It’s a nice round number that people would like to get to. Even to surpass that is such a blessing. A lot of hard work has gone into it -- not only me, but a lot of hitting coaches along the way, especially Jeremy Barnes finishing it off here.

MLB.com: Ever since you have been in the Major Leagues, you always talk about improving your game. Is there anything you would like to improve on for next year?

Nimmo: I think something I can improve on … is stealing bags and doing it in a more efficient manner. This year, I’m 3-for-6. It’s not very good. Maybe I should do a little more homework in that [area] and figure out why I am not having the success. Where are we lacking? How can I help the team a little bit more in that area? I don’t want to do it to a detriment. Part of it for me before was wanting to stay healthy and that is still first and foremost the biggest thing for me. But if I can add a little bit more, then I should. I owe it to my teammates and the club to try and fully exercise all of my abilities.

MLB.com: Last year, you talked about stealing more bases. I look at your face right now and I can tell you are disappointed you were not able to reach that particular goal.

Nimmo: Yeah, I’m disappointed. [Stealing bases] is going to require more attention. Three out of six is not very good. It’s something I can get better at. It’s going to take a different approach rather than what I’ve been doing before. There is something else I need to do and I need to figure that out. It will be a journey this offseason and try to pick some brains and be better.

MLB.com: This season hasn’t worked out for the Mets. A lot of people, including myself, had big hopes for the team.

Nimmo: I was thinking big things, too, with all the acquisitions that we had in the offseason. Why didn't it work out? I think there are a number of reasons. Any one of them might be the reason, but we couldn’t get the pitching, hitting and defense to all work together.

I think a couple of things that hurt us in the beginning -- obviously, you were able to see José Quintana and how he pitches lately. He is a presence on the mound. He is an amazing starting pitcher. We missed him during the [first half of the season]. We missed Justin Verlander for the first six weeks of the year, and he really didn’t feel he was more of himself until probably a little bit later. Those things sure didn’t help.

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Another big detriment to the season right at the beginning was losing Edwin Díaz -- losing your closer right away. Then all of a sudden [the team] asked guys that were signed for certain positions to do different things. David Robertson was signed to be the setup man, but he became the closer. He did a great job for us [before he was traded to the Marlins], but that pushes everybody up into a different role. With all of those things combined, I think we never really did get on that real nice roll. … It kind of solidified where our ownership and front office ended up going and saying, “We are going to reset and try again.” I think they made the most of the situation. It looks like we have some great young players in the pipeline now.

MLB.com: Of all the young guys that are here, who has impressed you the most?

Nimmo: They have all impressed me in different ways. Brett Baty with his calmness and his ability to stay really [level-headed] in situations. He wants to improve. Francisco Álvarez has a love for the game and [is] playing at such a high level. But I realized he caught a limited number of games up to this point of the season. Then I started to talk to him later [and said], “Hey, when it comes to August and September, you are going to have to tone it down a little bit. These are things you learn in the big leagues during a long season. It is a marathon, not a sprint.” He is an amazing player. He has all the potential in the world. Ronny Mauricio, we’ve seen all the talent from him. He has conducted himself in a professional manner. Mark Vientos, I’ve seen a lot of improvement from him. … He is starting to think at-bats and plans through. I’ve seen a lot of growth from him.

MLB.com: How do you feel about Buck Showalter as your manager for next year?

Nimmo: I don’t think Buck was the reason that things happened the way they did this year. He was the manager during the season we won 101 games. I think what Buck does a really good job at is, this [New York] market is hard. This is not just the same old market. … He keeps things neutral and doesn’t go too high or too low. He just understands that baseball is baseball. It’s going to have its little rollercoaster. He tries to stay in the middle for that. He does that with you guys in the media. He also does it with us in the clubhouse. He does a good job of it. He has a lot of wisdom to pull on. So we really become very fond of Buck and the preparation he goes through to get us prepared before the games.

MLB.com: It’s not official, but David Stearns is expected to be named the Mets’ president of baseball operations. How do you feel about the Mets bringing him on board to help the team?

Nimmo: Obviously, he comes with a great track record. He turned Milwaukee into a real force in the National League Central. I think there is something to learn from everyone. So I’m excited to have a conversation with him if he wants that. He is going to bring a lot of really good experience over here and a different way of thinking. I think it’s really good to have guys from different backgrounds to be able to bring different perspectives and different experiences.