2025 New York Mets Report Card: Brandon Nimmo

Grade: B

2025 Review

From a purely numerical standpoint, Nimmo had yet another solid season for the Mets with the bat in his hands. In 652 plate appearances, Nimmo notched a triple slash of .262/.324/.436, good for a .760 OPS. He hit 25 home runs, had 27 doubles, and drove in 92 runs.

The outfielder started slow in March and April, only walking 5.8% of his appearances while mustering an OPS of .673. He struck out 21 times compared to 24 hits, which only included nine extra-base hits in April.

Nimmo began to heat up in May and June to get his numbers in line with his career marks. In June specifically, Nimmo had arguably his best month of the season, hitting .298 with six home runs and an .879 OPS. He also stole six bases, which would end up being a season high for him in a month.

He then followed that up with a July, where he recorded a hit in all but six games, posting an .805 OPS on .462 slugging. Nimmo, to add to his great month, also stole five bases. The outfielder kept things rolling throughout August, posting an .833 OPS with nine extra-base hits in 107 plate appearances.

However, due to neck stiffness and other wear and tear, Nimmo slowed down considerably in September. The outfielder posted a season-worst .621 OPS while also striking out 25 times. He only had three extra-base hits in the month, walked only four times, and only stole one base. Not surprisingly, New York’s playoff hopes dwindled as Nimmo’s performance faltered.

Analytically, Nimmo traded some of his trademark plate discipline to try to hunt more hard contact. The left fielder’s hard-hit rate was 50.2%, up 2.8% from last season and placed in the 88th percentile in the sport. Nimmo’s average exit velocity was 91.9 (88th percentile), and his average bat speed was 72.3, a bit down from last season but in line with his career marks.

The outfielder’s other marks were solid in 2025. He had a BABIP of .301, an xwOBA of .329, squared up 26.5% of his balls put in play, and had a steady chase rate of 24.2%. Nimmo was not truly spectacular in any way, but he also was not a liability at the plate for the Mets. His adjustments resulted in not only a return to some key marks but noticeable increases in his ability to hit the ball hard and attack strikes early in the count.

Under the surface, though, there is some concern with Nimmo as an overall player.

As a hitter, Nimmo struggled immensely with hitting 4-seam fastballs, especially those with high velocity. According to Baseball Savant, the outfielder had a negative seven run value against the pitch in 2025 and struck out against them 23.4% of the time (up from 21.9% in 2024). Nimmo’s walk rate plummeted from 11.6% in 2024 to 7.7% in 2025, and despite good overall swing speed numbers, his fast swing rate was his lowest in three years at 26.5%. His barrel percentage, despite the hard-hit rate, also dropped to 8.8% from 9.1%.

As a fielder and base runner, Nimmo saw the most worrisome change. Nimmo was a negatively graded fielder for the first time in his career with an OAA of negative one.

In terms of baserunning, Nimmo had his advanced metrics decrease once again. His “net bases gained” total dropped from six to three, while his “lead distance gained” on stolen bases dropped from 3.0 to 2.6.

Nimmo is a key player for the New York Mets, and a talented one at that. At his best, Nimmo can provide pop as a hitter, get on base at a high clip, and make things happen on the bases. He also, in most seasons, provides very serviceable defense out in left field.

2025 showed the major upsides of Nimmo, but also the downsides of what he brings to the table as he ages.

2026 Overview

Heading into 2026, Nimmo is in a very interesting spot.

It is good that the outfielder is looking to hit the ball harder and attack more strikes in the zone. In the modern era of Major League Baseball, that is very important for a lineup. However, Nimmo is also at his best when he is not always selling out for power, but rather setting up the other key cogs in the New York lineup. Nimmo, outside of hitting, also helps New York the most when he plays solid defense and contributes on the base paths.

Nimmo needs to find a happy medium for the Mets. He does not need to be a Gold Glove player or on-base machine, nor does he need to be power-happy. Nimmo’s superpower is in the middle, as when he combines everything, he is one of the more underrated players in the sport.

New York’s offseason moves will make Nimmo’s path much easier to chart, but at this current juncture, the outfielder needs to focus on getting back to his most balanced self, as the Mets are surely going to need it in 2025.