Nimmo, Lindor Find Magic In New Lineup Spots

For much of the last few weeks, the Mets lineup has felt like it has been running on fumes. Consistent offensive production has been hard to come by. After a stretch of the season where it felt like everybody was hot – Luis Torrens seemingly barreled every ball, Brett Baty flirting with a near-.800 OPS – this offense has become a shadow of itself. Long scoring droughts, missed opportunities with runners in scoring position, and underperforming bats have defined far too many games. One hitter shaking off that trend is Brandon Nimmo.

While much of the rest of the lineup has struggled to find a rhythm, Nimmo has been heating up, slowly but steadily. On Wednesday, in the second game of a doubleheader against Milwaukee, he delivered one of the team’s biggest swings of the season: a second-inning grand slam that broke the game open and helped carry the Mets to a much-needed win.

It was Nimmo’s 16th home run of the season and a continuation of the hot streak he’s been riding since the start of June. He finished 2-for-5 on the day and that one swing—a 103.1 mph high fly ball into the right-field seats—was enough to tilt the game in New York’s favor. It also marked his fourth home run in his last nine games.

Nimmo has also delivered in quieter ways by simply being a dependable presence at the top of the lineup. He’s not walking at the same elite clip he once did, but his run production and power have taken a step forward. He is now hitting .254 with 47 RBI and a .771 OPS, and has continued to look great after a June that saw him hit .298/.360/.519. He’s slugging more, driving in runs, and staying on the field, something we’ve come to expect from Brandon. After an injury-riddled first six years of his career, he has turned a corner in terms of durability, playing in over 150 games in each season from 2022 through 2024. So far in 2025, he’s missed just three games.

Of course, Nimmo’s heroics on Wednesday were 95% the result of his own hard work, hours spent in the cages, film study on the iPad, and his relentless drive, but credit to the skipper is also due where it’s deserved. Ahead of the nightcap of the doubleheader, manager Carlos Mendoza made a bold and successful lineup change: Nimmo was slotted into the leadoff spot for the first time in over a year, bumping 2025 All-Star Francisco Lindor – who had held that role since May 18, 2024 – down to second. The move paid immediate dividends.

“For me as a manager, to make those types of decisions, it’s a lot easier when they’re all-in,” Mendoza said proudly after the game. “Whatever you feel is best for the team, I’m all-in,” is what Lindor supposedly told his skipper.

“Whatever helps us win, that’s what I’m down for,” Nimmo said, proving Mendoza’s point.

New York completed a 7-3 victory against the Brewers, snapping a four-game losing streak and, they hope, starting a run in the other direction. Blade Tidwell turned in a strong outing, with the only real damage coming on back-to-back home runs that blemished an otherwise impressive start. The Mets’ bullpen was lights-out the rest of the way, piecing together 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief—(including Huascar Brazobán‘s scoreless opening frame).

Lindor himself responded to the move in a big way, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a solo homer that came directly after Nimmo’s grand slam.

In a season where much has changed in Flushing, Queens, a surging Nimmo and Lindor could flip this team’s fortunes right back around.

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