Brandon Nimmo
Yesterday, the Mets could only muster a run against the Pirates. When Michael Conforto hit a two run homer in the first, the Mets surpassed that total. They also provided Steven Matz with more than enough run support.
Matz picked up the win after allowing just one run over 5.2 innings.
Wilson Ramos also homered. Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil also delivered runs in the Mets 6-1 win.
Rick Porcello had what was probably the best start of his computer simulated baseball career allowing just one earned to the Cardinals over 6.2 innings.
Even though he had allowed just three hits up until that point, Luis Rojas went to his bullpen. Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances kept the Cardinals off the board heading into the ninth for Edwin Diaz, who converted the save.
In this 2-1 Mets victory, Brandon Nimmo hit a second inning RBI single against Cardinals starter Daniel Ponce de Leon scoring Wilson Ramos. In the fourth, Yoenis Cespedes hit a solo homer, which proved to be the game winner.
After seeing Pete Alonso set the Major League Rookie Home Run Record, we were all hoping we were going to get to see one of the great offensive seasons we have ever seen. Looking at this Mets team, we could have also seen that from Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil, or Brandon Nimmo.
Alas, there is no baseball being played right now, and there are no indications when it can be played again. So, instead, it’s looking back at the past. With that in mind, can you name the 10 best offensive seasons in Mets team history? Good luck!
Howard Johnson Darryl Strawberry Mike Piazza David Wright Bernard Gilkey John Olerud Bobby Bonilla
The Cincinnati Reds are built somewhat similar to the 2015 Mets – exciting young pitching with some interesting position players. Today, we saw the Mets did it better with Steven Matz out-dueling Trevor Bauer.
Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos hit back-to-back one out doubles in the first to give the Mets the lead. That lead grew to 2-0 when Brandon Nimmo homered in the second.
Overall, Matz gave up one run over six. Robert Gsellman and Dellin Betances picked up the hold, and Edwin Diaz got the save in the Mets 2-1 victory.
(2) Dwight Gooden – Had the greatest season a rookie pitcher ever had and the greatest rookie season a Mets player ever had. Remarkably, he was even better in 1985. Won the Triple Crown and was the unanimous Cy Young that year. Was such a great pitcher that for nearly a decade there was a massive poster of him in Times Square. Is all-over the top 10 rankings for Mets single-season and career records. By WAR is the third best Mets player in history.
(15) Wally Backman – Throwback middle infielder and second spot hitter who led NL in sacrifices in 1985. Fiery personality matched the 1986 perfectly. Started a game winning rally in Game 3 of the NLCS with a drag bunt. His run in the 16th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS proved to be the pennant winning run. After being fired from the Diamondbacks, he returned as a minor league manager who had an impact on much of the Mets core, including but not limited to Brandon Nimmo.
Good teams pull out victories late in games. They show resiliency and rise to the challenge. In tonight’s simulated game, we see how good this Mets team could’ve been had they actually played games:
Down 3-2 in the ninth with the threat of their winning streak being snapped, Brandon Nimmo led off the top of the ninth with a double. Amed Rosario went the other way advancing him to third, and Dominic Smith hit a game winning two run homer to give the Mets a 4-3 victory.
The home run happy Mets also got homers from Yoenis Cespedes and Jeff McNeil. Justin Wilson earned the win in relief, and Edwin Diaz recorded the save.
In the first game of this series, the Marlins offense exploded. In the next game, the Mets responded. In tonight’s game, no one could score:
From the Marlins perspective, you knew this was likely coming with Jacob deGrom on the mound. Jake was Jake shutting out the Marlins for seven innings.
Robert Gsellman, Edwin Diaz (2 IP), and Justin Wilson shut the Marlins down to keep them scoreless through 11. That allowed Brandon Nimmo to be the hero as he hit a walk-off homer to give the Mets a 1-0 extra inning victory.
A real nice touch to tonight’s simulated game was seeing all the Mets and Braves players wearing 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. It was extra special seeing Dominic Smith homering while wearing the number.
Hopefully, we’ll get to see that happen in 2021.
The Mets other run came off a Brandon Nimmo lead-off homer. With those two runs, the duel between Rick Porcello and Felix Hernandez turned into a battle of the bullpens.
Ultimately, Robert Gsellman wasn’t up to the task allowing two runs in the top of the ninth. That rally began with a leadoff walk to Mets killer Charlie Culberson.
When it comes to the number 9, there are some fan favorites and good baseball players who have worn the number in Mets history. There was J.C. Martin who paired with Jerry Grote to backstop the 1969 World Series champions. Gregg Jefferies accomplished the rare feat of twice finishing in the top six in Rookie of the Year voting.
Todd Zeile probably came an inch and Timo Perez hustle to claim this honor himself, especially with his spearheading the Mets players wearing the caps in the wake of 9/11. Brandon Nimmo is an on-base machine who already has the Mets single-season HBP record. Ultimately, this honor may one day belong to him, but for today, the best Mets player to wear the number 9 is Todd Hundley.
The son of former Cubs catcher Randy Hundley was born to play catcher. While there were questions about his bat, Hundley was known as a good defensive catcher. After Gary Carter was released, and Mackey Sasser struggled with the yips, he was rushed to the majors as a 20 year old.
While he got his first call-up in 1990, it took him a few seasons to stick on as the Mets starting catcher. Even with him being a good backstop, it was not until the 1995 season where Hundley truly established himself as a real everyday Major League catcher. That began from the first game of the 1995 season where he hit the first ever grand slam in the first game ever at Coors Field:
In that 1995 season, Hundley would deal with some injury issues, but he would put together his first real year as a player who could catch and hold his own at the plate. That 1995 season was an important year for him, but it was the following season which would define him.
The 1996 Mets were not a very good team, but they were a team with some of the best seasons in team history. In that year, Lance Johnson set the Mets single season record for triples. Bernard Gilkey set the Mets single season mark for doubles. Finally, Hundley would set the Mets single season mark for homers. It was actually much more than that.
Hundley’s 41 homers in 1996 would not only have him break Darryl Strawberry‘s single-season record for homers by a Met. It would also break Roy Campanella‘s single-season mark for homers by a catcher. Hundley would set the record with a homer off future teammate Greg McMichael:
For a Mets team with so much losing and with so many low points since that stretch in the 1980s, it was an important moment. It was so important to the team, they had a hologram picture of Hundley breaking the record on the 1997 year book.
That was an important moment for the Mets not only because of the record, but also because it was their first real sign of hope in years. With Hundley, they had a homegrown budding star to build a team around. In that year, he would make his first All Star team.
While Hundley didn’t set any records in 1997, he did something possibly even more important. He backed up what he did in 1996 by hitting 30 home runs the following year. He would once again be an All Star. More than that, he was a key part of a Mets team who was suddenly good. In fact, that team won a surprising 88 games, and they looked like an up and coming team.
More than that, Hundley and the Mets delivered the first blow in the first ever Subway Series game when baseball introduced Interleague Play. In the first inning of that game, Hundley would actually steal home. More important than that, he would catch every pitch of Dave Mlicki‘s complete game shutout which culminating in his framing a Mlicki curve to strike out Derek Jeter to end the game.
The Mets would take another step the following season emerging as real postseason contenders. Unfortunately, Hundley was not much a part of that. He missed the beginning of the year with reconstructive elbow surgery. That team got off to a slow start without him, and in an effort to save the season, the Mets obtained the shockingly available Mike Piazza, who was moved earlier in the season to the Florida Marlins.
That meant when Hundley came back there was nowhere for him to play. He tried left field, but he struggled out there, and for the good of the team, he told Bobby Valentine the team needed to reduce his role. That request did not come with a trade demand. Still, even though he was relegated as a back-up and pinch hitter, it did not mean he would not contribute.
Hundley’s last hurrah as a member of the Mets came in Houston. The Mets were a game out in the loss column for the Wild Card, and they needed every win they could get. In the top of the 12th, Hundley would hit a go-ahead homer helping the Mets keep pace. Unfortunately, it would not be in the cards for the Mets that year, and it was time from the team to move on from their homegrown star.
The Mets re-signed Piazza necessitating they trade Hundley. They did so moving him to the Dodgers in a deal which netted them Roger Cedeno and Charles Johnson, who was flipped to the Orioles for Armando Benitez. With that, even Hundley gone, he again helped make the Mets a postseason team.
In the ensuing years, he’d be one of the players named in the Mitchell Report putting an asterisk on some of his accomplishments. He’d also be long forgotten with the rise of Piazza, and he would see his record fall to Javy Lopez. Still, when he was with the Mets, in terms of the numbers, he was the best Mets player to ever wear the number 9.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series highlighting the best players in Mets history by highlighting the best Mets player to wear a particular uniform number. In this case, this is not saying Hundley was the ninth best player in Mets history, but rather the best Mets player to wear the number 9.
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1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
The Mets blew a few leads in this one including a 2-0 first inning lead courtesy of solo homers by Pete Alonso and Yoenis Cespedes. Unfortunately, Rick Porcello wouldn’t get out of the inning without the Brewers tying the game up.
A Brandon Nimmo two run shot in the second gave the Mets another two run lead. However, the Brewers would not only tie it, but they’d also take the lead heading into the ninth.
With Josh Hader on the mound, the Mets staged a great comeback in the top of the ninth.
The Mets tied the score with back-to-back doubles from Cespedes and Robinson Cano. Nimmo hit one which ate up Keston Hiura to give the Mets a 6-5 lead.
That chased Hader, and the Brewers went to David Phelps. Amed Rosario doubled, and Dominic Smith hit a pinch hit sacrifice fly to give the Mets a 7-5 lead.
Edwin Diaz got the first two out in the ninth before getting into trouble, allowing a run to score, and Luis Rojas going to Seth Lugo for the one out save. When Lugo got the only batter he faced out, the Mets won 7-6.