"If baseball's done, what's next?" - New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo almost quit baseball before being called up to the majors
Brandon Nimmo has been a key part of the New York Mets' success this season. With New York leading their division, players like Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Francisco Lindor have been a key part of the team's offensive success. As Nimmo typically bats at the top of the lineup, he sets the tone for the Mets offense.
Having an excellent season thus far, Nimmo says that he almost walked away from the game of baseball. Having a rough year down in the minors, Nimmo explained that he almost walked away from the game of baseball in 2015 out of frustration due to his poor performance. He received a visit from his father where the two discussed what the future might hold.
"[My father and I] had a realistic conversation of, 'if baseball's done, what's next?'" - Brandon Nimmo
Some options were tossed around, like returning to school and furthering his education. Drafted out of high school in 2011 by the Mets, Nimmo hasn't put much thought into a life that doesn't include barreling baseballs.
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"How do you handle this, after putting this many years into it?"
Nimmo didn't want to give up on something he had dedicated his entire life to. He was determined to figure out a way to turn things around. Thanks to one of his former American Legion coaches, he did.
Tagg Lain, a former coach of Brandon Nimmo, visited his former player and watched him play a couple of games in the minors. After watching him, the two had a long phone conversation where the the coach told Nimmo exactly what he was doing wrong.
Once New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo figured out his approach at the plate in thanks to a former coach of his, there was no turning back
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Lain mentioned to Nimmo that he was lowering his hands too much on the bat. Another thing mentioned was his mental approach at the plate. Lain suggested that he start to look for pitches on the outside part of the plate early in counts. After focusing on that, Nimmo turned into a completely different player.
After impressing his minor league coach, Wally Bachman, Brandon Nimmo was called up to New York. Bachman explained to Nimmo that it was one of the largest improvements he had seen a player make during his time coaching.
After Nimmo found his stride, there was no turning back. He has been electric for a Mets team that has kept the upper hand over the defending champs, the Atlanta Braves. Nimmo will have to keep up this pace if they want to keep Atlanta in the rear-view mirror.