Mets’ Brandon Nimmo struggling as strikeouts mount: ‘Not great’

Brandon Nimmo’s had a rough two days.

He struck out twice in the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Guardians on Tuesday night, picking up where he left off from his four strikeouts in the game prior.

It’s the first time all season that he’s struck out six times across back-to-back games.

The typically reliable left fielder was asked postgame Tuesday how he’s feeling at the plate.

“Not great,” Nimmo replied.

“This is part of baseball, you have to grind through it,” he continued. “There’s really no escaping it.”

It’s not just the past two games, as the strikeouts Tuesday made it 11 straight games and the 16th of Nimmo’s last 17 games that he’s been punched out at least once.

The Mets offense as a whole struggled at the plate with just four hits in the loss to Cleveland.

Nimmo’s failures were especially tough, as he stranded Juan Soto in scoring position two times, which wound up being critical in the team’s seventh loss in eight games.

Nimmo’s first strikeout came in the first inning when Cleveland starter Logan Allen needed just four pitches to punch him out, finishing Nimmo off with a 92.7 mph four-seam fastball right down the middle.

After a fielder’s choice his second time up, Nimmo struck out and left Soto stranded on second base yet again in the fifth inning. This time, he struck out looking on the fifth pitch of the at-bat, which was another 93 mph four-seamer right over the heart of the plate.

“He’s had a tough couple of games,” manager Carlos Mendoza said postgame. “[Nimmo’s] swinging through fastballs — they are doing a good job of attacking him.”

Nimmo has been an everyday player for the Mets for the past four seasons, as he missed no more than 11 games in each of the past three seasons and has missed just four so far in 2025.

The 32-year-old has been reliable. As Mendoza put it, Nimmo is “one of the most consistent guys in the lineup.”

But even the most solid everyday players go through stretches when they’re not quite seeing the ball as they typically would.

That’s Nimmo at the moment, but he’s confident he and the Mets will break through.

“You just keep grinding away, things are not as bleak as they seem,” Nimmo said. “You’re one hit away … I really believe in this offense and this team.”