Buck Showalter has a kindred spirit in Brandon Nimmo – The Reading Eagle

MIAMI — Buck Showalter was in good spirits as usual before Saturday’s game.

Part of it could be the return to his home state of Florida, or the generally laid-back nature that most players and coaches on the road exude, but the main reason is definitely how well his team is playing.

Brandon Nimmo’s eighth-inning home run put the finishing touches on the Marlins on Friday night. In his first year at Nimmo’s helm, Showalter offered his take on why the longtime Met is thriving.

“I think you’re seeing a guy who really understands himself,” Showalter said. “He is one of the last to leave the park. View highlights, eat with club goers. He is engaged.”

A player with such an insatiable appetite for baseball would seem like a manager’s dream. But there is a downside to this. Showalter was asked point-blank if he was ever afraid Nimmo would burn out, or if he ever had to tell his center fielder to just go home and do anything other than hitting the cage or analyzing video.

“I did it,” Showalter said with a slight nod towards his soul mate.

“I am like that. There are some things I have to do to feel like we have an edge the next day. I know he feels the same way.’

According to FanGraphs, Nimmo is just a few decimal points away from matching his production last year. In 2021, a finger injury sidelined him for an extended period, and he still posted a respectable 3.3 wins over replacement. In 2022, with two full months of the regular season still to go, Nimmo was already worth 3.1 WAR.

Showalter also noticed some things off the field about the new center fielder, who will become a free agent at the end of the season. Most close observers have noted an improvement in defense or a drop in strikeout percentage, but the Mets captain also said Nimmo has been speaking up more in the team’s pregame hitting meetings and has done so “with a lot of confidence.”

That confidence certainly stems from the sensational season he’s having, as well as his status as the team’s longest-serving player, but also probably knowing deep down that he’s about to get a lot richer.

PARADA SIGNS FOR 5 MILLION DOLLARS

Speaking of getting richer, Mets first-round pick Kevin Parado has entered a new tax bracket.

The catcher from Georgia Tech is taken 11th pick in the 2022 draft signed a deal with the Mets that carried a $5,019,735 signing bonus, according to reports. A year after failing to agree to a deal for first-round pick Kumar Roker, this helps the Mets avoid a second straight headache.

Jett Williams — the high school prospect the Mets acquired as compensation for not getting Rocker — officially signed with the club last week and made his unofficial debut at Citi Field answer journalists’ questions and try on a Metz uniform. Parada will likely do the same when the team returns from the trip.

BIENVENIDO A MIAMI

To quote the great Reggie Jackson, Starling Marte was the straw that stirs the Mets’ drink this season.

He was a go-to guy who did everything, hit for power and average, stole bases and played defense that nobody had to worry about. He’s also very comfortable in South Florida. After the Marlins destroyed three more hits on Friday, Marte had a lifetime batting average of .305 with eight homers in exactly 300 plate appearances at LoundDepot Park in Miami.

Saturday marked his 72nd game at the stadium that has been his home for parts of 2020 and 2021. Besides PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where he worked for eight years as a Pirate, Miami’s weirdly stupid lineup is where Marte has played the most.

“There’s no set way to deliver it,” Showalter said. “Good hitters sometimes make scouting reports look a little off.

BUCK COMEDY

Edwin Diaz had one hit off a flawless pitch Friday.

A remarkable feat of a pitcher striking out the side in nine innings, Diaz escaped a foul ball. Joey Wendle ruined an 0-2 inning in the final at bat before delivering the next hit that went off Diaz’s hand. Instead of a legendary flawless pitch, Diaz had to settle for a 10-pitch save. His manager found humor in it.

“He’s a loser,” Showalter said sarcastically. “He’s on the shopping block.”

()