Brandon Nimmo -- Prospect Evaluation

Brandon Nimmo is a left-handed outfielder who became Wyoming's highest draft pick ever when the New York Mets selected him 13th overall in 2011. The 6'3" athlete from Cheyenne East High School signed for $2,100,000. Despite suffering a right ACL tear playing football in 2009, Nimmo is an above-average runner with an efficient swing characterized by short path to the ball and outstanding barrel awareness. His hitting approach produces consistent line drives to all fields, and he possesses a good eye at the plate, earning recognition for Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Florida State League in 2014. As he gained strength, scouts projected he could add loft to convert doubles into home runs.

Nimmo debuted on June 26, 2016, and was consistently ranked among the Mets' top five prospects from 2012-2017, including being ranked #45 overall by Baseball America in 2015. He appeared in the Pacific Coast League (#19 prospect in 2016), Eastern League (#19 in 2015), and Florida State League (#17 in 2014). Multiple transactions document his career with the Mets, including placement on the 10-day injured list, indicating recurring injury concerns. His career statistics show a .300 average with a .374 on-base percentage and .462 slugging percentage across 130 at-bats.

Brandon Nimmo, a 2011 first-round pick for the Mets, is evaluated as the #2 position prospect based on in-person scouting in 2013. The 6'3", 185-pound left-handed batter, age 21, posted a .273/.397/.359 slash line with 131 strikeouts and 71 walks across 480 plate appearances for Savannah (A-level). The evaluator, who watched Nimmo on April 18-19 against Lakewood and at the July 14 Futures Game, identifies a hand injury sustained between these dates as significantly impacting his mid-season performance.

Nimmo's profile includes several positive attributes: improved hand positioning compared to his Brooklyn stint, added muscle (about 20 pounds of good weight), and an aesthetically pleasing left-handed swing that showed impressive opposite-field contact on outside fastballs. The evaluator maintains belief in his power potential, noting a near-home run to straightaway center. However, notable weaknesses exist, particularly struggles against armside breaking balls where he lunges and comes out in front, suggesting a pitch recognition issue.

The hand injury's impact was evident at the Futures Game, where reduced bat speed and loss of hand trust resulted in a weak bat path. Without standout individual tools, Nimmo presents a difficult projection. The evaluator assesses him as an average runner post-weight gain with centerfield defense that has improved to the point of comfortable projection there, though a 4th outfielder or tweener outcome remains possible. An average arm creates a potential left field profile if repositioning becomes necessary.

The Mets used the 13th pick in the 2011 MLB Draft on Brandon Nimmo from Wyoming, committing to a $4 million signing bonus despite him falling under the radar late in the draft preparation period. Nimmo is a 6-2 athlete with long limbs and above-average speed who projects defensively as a right fielder with a strong enough arm to play multiple positions.

Nimmo's primary selling point is his athleticism and swing potential. He demonstrates excellent hand-eye coordination and a fundamentally sound swing with a long barrel in the strike zone, though he relies heavily on his hands and rotates his hips prematurely before properly balancing his weight. Once he refines this timing and adds muscle to his frame, meaningful power could develop to all fields, particularly to the opposite field.

A significant concern is his right knee, which required ACL surgery in 2009 and has bothered him during the spring, forcing him to wear a brace. This conditioning requires monitoring and may affect his timeline. Additionally, Nimmo lacks experience facing consistent competition, having played high school ball despite his school not fielding an official team, which adds some uncertainty to his development trajectory.

Brandon Nimmo is a 22-year-old left-handed outfielder in the Mets minor league system, playing for the AA Binghamton Mets. He has an athletic, wide-framed build with broad shoulders and strong upper body.

Nimmo's hit tool is graded at 45 (below average), characterized by average bat speed, simple mechanics with a tiny stride, and a sometimes loopy bat path. He demonstrates good strike zone awareness but employs a passive approach, often taking pitches in hitter's counts without a clear plan of attack. He performs poorly against same-handed pitching.

His power is graded at 55 (average), with 55 raw power concentrated to the pull side. However, his game power is diminished by his passive plate approach. His speed is graded at 40 (below average), with stocky running mechanics and longer strides that improve underway. He is not a significant baserunning threat, relying more on baseball instincts than pure speed.

Defensively, Nimmo grades out at 55 for glove (fringe average reads and routes with corner actions and mobility) and 50 for arm strength (average and accurate). Overall, he projects as a fringe average to platoon corner outfielder with a Mid-2016 MLB ETA and medium risk factor.

Brandon Nimmo was selected 13th overall in the 2011 MLB draft by the New York Mets, a selection that generated controversy at the time. The 2011 draft class was exceptionally talented, with numerous future stars selected in the first round including Gerrit Cole, Jose Fernandez, Francisco Lindor, and George Springer. Nimmo stood out as an unconventional pick—a relatively unknown prospect from Wyoming who had never played on a high school team and lacked significant playing experience. The selection prompted questions about whether the Mets made the right choice, particularly when comparing Nimmo to Jose Fernandez, who was selected immediately after him.

Jason Parks, the author of this Baseball Prospectus article, provides personal evaluation based on his first scouting of Nimmo in summer 2012 in the New York-Penn League while playing for the Mets' affiliate in Brooklyn. Parks noted that while Nimmo possessed an excellent physical profile and obvious athleticism, he was uncertain whether these qualities would translate to first-division caliber performance. The article examines whether Nimmo has justified his high draft position or whether the selection will be remembered as one of the draft's more questionable decisions.

This prospect evaluation examines Brandon Nimmo, the New York Mets' 2011 first round draft pick, in the context of offseason adjustments made to his swing mechanics. Published in June 2015, the article provides an in-depth scouting perspective on how these technical modifications affected Nimmo's performance. The piece appears to be part of Amazin' Avenue's regular prospect scouting report series, utilizing field observation methodology ("The View From Behind the Backstop") to assess the outfielder's development trajectory. At the time of publication, Nimmo was progressing through the minor league system, with the focus on evaluating whether the swing changes would translate to improved on-field results and whether he could develop into a productive major league player for the organization.