Nimmo making most of limited spring with move to right field

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Most athletes slow down as they get older. They become less durable and play fewer games. New Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo isn’t like most athletes.

Unlike many players, Nimmo, 32, has only become more durable as he’s gotten deeper into his career. He’s played 151 games or more in each of the last four seasons. All of that is due to a slower ramp-up plan that he’s used since 2022, when the lockout shortened Spring Training that season.

He, together with the Mets, realized that the number of games he played that spring (eight) could be beneficial going forward.

“It was a want to -- a need to -- be on the field more, and to really make the regular season the most important thing,” Nimmo explained. “When we were thinking about it, the load for an outfielder, especially when I was playing center field, was already heavy in a 162-game season. Plus you want to be in the playoffs. So you're hoping it's 185 or so games. Rather than trying to add on another 30 [in spring], let's be really specific about it and make sure that we're getting myself ready for the season.”

Nimmo didn’t play for the first week and a half of Cactus League play, but made his spring debut last Wednesday in an exhibition against Team Brazil ahead of the World Baseball Classic. He’s played in three games since, including Monday’s 4-1 win over the Padres, when he went 1-for-2 with an RBI triple and a walk.

He had been taking live at-bats on the backfields in the early weeks of camp before finally making his way to the main games.

“I usually have a floating number [of at-bats I want], but honestly, it depends on how I’m doing and how I’m feeling,” he said. “I feel pretty decent right now. It’s not terrible. Obviously, there’s growing pains coming back into the season. It’s always nice to have a little break and let your body recover. But then getting back into game speed is always a challenge. Right now, I’m just trying to focus on being short and getting the at-bats, trying to see the ball well and then make little adjustments.”

It’s the other end of the field that might actually be more important for Nimmo this spring.

In over 1,000 career games, Nimmo has played over half of them (551) in center field. Comparatively, he has played almost no games in right field and none at all since 2020. But he’s been a solid outfielder for the entirety of his career, though his best years have been in left field (14 defensive runs saved, 9 outs above average in 3,336 career innings).

Games in right field:
- 7 in 2016
- 8 in 2017
- 62 in 2018
- 6 in 2019
- 10 in 2020

With young stars like Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford manning center and left, Nimmo finds himself with a new home in 2026 and possibly beyond.

“It's gonna be different, right?” Nimmo said. “Everything. It's basically left field, but backwards. I have to get used to the angles and the reads. Lefties and righties are slightly different. Getting those angles down, it will be important, and getting the reps will be important. I've been getting reps, [batting practice] reps in there, but also these game reps will be important.

“It's really just going to come down to getting the muscle memory right, getting the reactions right. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment. I'll be making sure that I get lots of reps out there so that I'm prepared for it come, come day one [of the regular season].”