NEW YORK -- Even after signing his eight-year, $162 million contract, Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo made it clear in a press conference on Thursday that he is chasing perfection on the field.

Nimmo, 29, is already one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball. He finished 2022 with 102 runs scored and a .367 on-base percentage, but wants to triple his stolen base output. Nimmo’s career high in that department is nine, which came in 2018. During his seven-year career in the big leagues, Nimmo has stolen 23 bases in 37 attempts.

The reason for so few attempts? The team wanted to keep him on the field. Nimmo has spent a lot of time on the injured list over the years. This past season marked the first time Nimmo played 150 games in a season. His previous career high came in 2018, when he played 140 games.

“Because of our science department, we have a little bit more information,” Nimmo said. “The guy in center field usually [has] a higher load … throughout the year. [The Mets said], ‘Let’s make sure that I remain in center field and I’m in the leadoff spot every day.’ … It was more of, let’s stay on the field and let’s make sure we take care of the defense in center field and the offense from the leadoff spot. That’s where the team really wanted me to help out.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Nimmo makes the necessary steps to improve his stolen base totals. Look how much progress he made playing center field last year. According to Baseball Savant, his average arm strength in center field went from 83.3 mph in 2020 to 88.1 mph this past season. His expected catch percentage also went up from 85 percent to 90 percent during that same span. Nimmo credits Dustin Clark, the Mets’ strength and conditioning coach, and the analytics department for the improvement.  

“We changed our … conditioning and agility [exercises before games] and after [games]. It was a correlation of improving speed, and there was a health benefit,” Nimmo said. “When we did that, I actually added a foot per second to my sprint speed.

“The analytics department helped me on where I should play positionally. ... So we played a little bit deeper so it would help me get back on balls … at the warning track.”

Nimmo will be showing off his skills in front of manager Buck Showalter for the second year in a row. The outfielder made it known to his agent, Scott Boras, that Showalter’s managerial style kept him on the field this past season.

Nimmo also learned that Showalter truly cared about him as a person. One day, Nimmo was working late in the batting cage after a game. Showalter felt Nimmo should be home with his wife, Chelsea.

“If you want to stay married, you might want to go home,” Showalter told Nimmo.

“Buck and I are very similar in a lot of ways,” Nimmo said. “We had laughs throughout the year. But he also understands the type of person that I am. Like he alluded to, we are chasing that type of perfection that we will never get to, but we still chase it.

“[Showalter] understands the preparation that it takes each and every day to be ready for a game and how he wants to leave no stone unturned. I’m the same exact way. Our personalities and the relationship we developed definitely made it an easy decision to come back.”